Is Doc Rivers The Right Man For The 76ers’ Job?

After being fired by the Clippers earlier last week, coach Doc Rivers had a quick turnaround signing a five-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. Rivers, who was fired after his team blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets, when the team just gave up, is a big name and a splashy signing for Philly. But I’m not convinced Rivers is the man for the job.

The 76ers biggest issues lie in their two stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons who do not complement each others’ games and have an icy relationship. I feel like I’ve watched this movie twice before. In Rivers’ seven-year stint as the Clippers’ head coach, he dealt with two superstar tandems that reportedly had issues, Chris Paul-Blake Griffin and Kawhi Leonard-Paul George, both of which tend to end their season with massive collapses in the playoffs. While Rivers is a fine coach, I have no reason to expect that things will be different this time around. The 76ers biggest flaw is their roster, not their coach.

Embiid welcomed Rivers with open arms on his twitter saying, “Welcome to the city of Brotherly Love Coach @DocRivers!!!! Excited for the future and what we’re building here #PhillyForever” I’m not saying this is going to be a disaster. But I don’t think that throwing a new coat of paint over a broken-down house makes it any more habitable. 

Article by Nico Ribadeneyra