Although the Philadelphia 76ers drastically underperformed during the 2019-20 season, I have a feeling that this coming season could be different than the rest.
Swept in the first round of the NBA Playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s six seed. It’s fair to say that the Philadelphia 76ers were not the team that everyone thought they would be going into last season. Their two stars, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, obviously had their share of individual successes. The dynamic duo received All-Star recognition, while Simmons racked up Third Team All-NBA and First Team All-Defense honors.
As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the best duos in the NBA, but the team as a whole missed the mark. So what do you blame it on– the coaching, injuries, lack of depth, or chemistry issues? All of those were present this season, but I believe the hiring of Glen “Doc” Rivers was only the beginning of why this team is going to rebound and make massive waves next year.
Doc wins Coach of the Year
In all honesty, Doc could really use this as a pick-me-up. Ever since his tenure in Boston came to an end, he’s been consistently inconsistent. In Los Angeles, he either helped make or was given these near super-teams that always fell short of anything notable in the postseason. I’m sure I don’t even have to mention that the Clippers have never made a Conference Finals, and it’s so bizarre given the talent he’s had on his rosters.
A prime Chris Paul, injury-free and young Blake Griffin, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and plenty of others. I’m trying to think of another coach in the history of the league that’s had that much talent during their time as a coach. Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, then it kind of gets hard to list any other names after those three.
It’s underwhelming, and it’s definitely one of the only red flags that Philly fans should have on Rivers, but I want to make it abundantly clear that I think he’s going to succeed tremendously with the Sixers.
In fact, I would argue that this Philly team is the closest comparison to the 2007-08 Boston Celtics, the last team he won a ring with. Those Celtics showcased grit on both ends of the floor, but especially on the defensive end. It wasn’t a team that had eye-popping talent coming off the bench, but it was the incredible coaching staff and personnel in the locker room that was a big boost to that championship. Take all of that out of the equation, and comparing these Celtics to the 2019-20 76ers on the court is a little more similar than you think.
Obviously, some are going to look at these numbers alone and call me crazy saying ‘Well, the Celtics were a much better defensive team and gave up fewer points.’
True, but you have to consider the fact that the eras were completely different. What I’m comparing are two teams that rank similarly amongst their respective leagues. They were both underdog teams that had come off the tail-end of mediocre campaigns and didn’t overwhelm anybody with star power.
The Sixers have an opportunity to shine with Doc, run a ball-movement heavy offense, and become stoppers on the defensive end. They had the potential to play like that with Brett Brown, but never reached it. I have a feeling that with the familiarity Doc could have with this team due to his past, he could coach them to a deep playoff run, but also win the honor of league’s best coach.
Just like Kevin Garnett said, ‘Anything is possible’, right?