Philly’s Doc Rivers era has come to where it’s always been — a painful end after a disappointing playoff run and a self-evident conclusion that makes it painful to think about the years the Sixers wasted under his leadership.
That Rivers was never the right man for the job, and this careless, weak, humiliating end to another promising season was what the Sixers could always get under Coach Doc Rivers.
It was true on the day it was appointed. That is now a reality with a 112-88 Game 7 blowout by the Boston Celtics on Sunday. I wasn’t kidding when I said a few days ago that the Celtics had Doc Rivers and the Sixers down 3-2.
Remember: the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. That’s why the Sixers’ decision to hire Rivers in the first place was crazy, and keeping him now would be even crazier.
If you made a mistake hiring back in 2020, now is the time to move on.
None of this is new, which is what makes Philly’s predicament so painful and frustrating for its fans. The truth of The decline of Dok River It’s not new. This company hired him two and a half years ago. before By hiring the boss, the team’s president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, meant he would have to wait several seasons to have his own head coach.
Well, you don’t have to wait any longer. If the gears in Philly aren’t cranking toward Doc’s departure, Philadelphia can count on the same in the coming years. (madness, remember)
For those who want these decisions out of the question, get ready. The statistics are quite impressive.
Rivers’ teams have blown multiple 3-2 series leads in his career, as they did against the Celtics in this series. In the whole story NBA 13 contest 3-1 series lead, and Rivers was on the wrong track for three. That certainly doesn’t apply this year because the reverse Sixers are 3-2, not 3-1, but we’ll get to that.
He now sits at 6-10 in Game 7s, the biggest loss for the coaches so far. NBA History. ten. That, obviously, is very, very bad.
The teams are now 17-33 in playoff chances, a brutal 34 percent chance of winning. It’s also the biggest loss for a coach in NBA history.
And as for being 3-2, Rivers now has four straight losses while adding to that number, making it the seven times teams have gone 3-2 or higher to seal the deal. It’s hard to see how that can happen often, even if you’re trying to make these things disappear.
Teams under intense pressure often take on the personality and mood of their head coach. And we’ve seen some really boring moments in those types of games for Rivers teams — and again on Sunday.
Joel Embiid was 5 of 18 for 15 points.
James Harden had 3 of 11 nine points.
The Sixers shot 37.3% from the field, a horrendous 21.6% on threes, were out of bounds, inside and out.
Sometimes saying things out loud or writing them in a column seems like an insult to the ability to listen and understand what you’re reading, but let’s say it again, even if it’s self-explanatory: Doc Rivers doesn’t have to train. This group again. Not a minute.
Depending on what Harden does this postseason — or was — here’s a mix that makes for a championship run. Embiid wins his first MVP. Harden has shown glimpses of greatness, including in this Game 7, mixed with the same baffling postseason awfulness. Without someone like Doc to destroy the remaining substance. Tyrus Maxey and Tobias Harris, with right hands, could be key contributors.
Additionally, Joe Mazzula, Boston’s rookie head coach, will be clearly on the job and in his head early in this series. And in Game 6, with Philly winning at home and away from the conference finals, Jayson Tatum started 1 of 14.
doesn’t matter. Anyway, the Celtics won.
The Phoenix Suns moved on from Monty Williams, who was perfect in Philly. Nick Nurse and Mike Budenholzer are also on the market, and while they are expected to land in Milwaukee and Phoenix, respectively, those deals have yet to be finalized.
The Sixers’ hopes ended a few years ago when they first hired Doc Rivers.
And while it’s a bad day in Philly — Doc Rivers-level bad — the prospect of finding a coach who can win key games this decade may ultimately be the best thing that could happen to the Sixers. A very long time.