The Sixers are 1-1 on the young NBA season, with a blowout victory and a classic fourth-quarter collapse already in the books. Philadelphia has weathered the Ben Simmons storm well so far, but more challenges lie ahead.
In this article, we will dissect five takeaways (overly eager or not) from the Sixers’ first two games. What have we learned, and what can we expect in the weeks and months to come?
Let’s jump right in.
Overreactions from Sixers’ first week of season: Doc Rivers on the hot seat
The Sixers will not fire Doc Rivers. Not for a long time. He’s on a big contract, his name carries more weight than almost every coach in the NBA, and the players love him. He’s not actually on the hot seat, but he probably should be.
While a ton of heat was (rightfully) aimed at Ben Simmons following the Sixers’ game seven collapse against Atlanta, Rivers was equally responsible for Philadelphia’s defeat. Simmons’ free throws were easy to point out on the stat sheet, but Rivers’ countless baffling rotation moves were just the tip of the iceberg. At some point, the responsibility falls on him — not his players — for the consistent late-game (and late-series) collapses.
The Nets game was a prime example. He wasted two valuable opportunities to use his challenge in the final two minutes, both of which could have stymied Brooklyn’s momentum. The Sixers scored one point in the last six minutes and ended the game on the wrong side of a 16-1 run. Some of that was makable misses and bad luck. But, at the end of the day, there’s no Ben Simmons-sized excuse for the complete meltdown.
Rivers has time and time again proven stubborn and inflexible. His inability to adjust on the fly, and his inability to stem negative momentum, continues to plague the Sixers. Philadelphia is a good team. A real contender as long as Joel Embiid is on the floor. But Rivers’ decision-making is too often working against them, not for them.