The Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs last night, losing 99-90 to the Miami Heat in Game 6. Fans immediately began calling for head coach Doc Rivers to get fired.
Unfortunately for any fans hoping Rivers has coached his last game in Philly, the Sixers brass isn’t on board. Speaking to the media on Friday, 76ers general manager Daryl Morey announced that Rivers will be returning for the 2022-23 season.
Rivers oversaw the 76ers get knocked out in the Conference Semifinals for the second year in a row. He’s 100-54 in two seasons with the team and 13-11 in the playoffs for them.
But there was no Ben Simmons to serve as the 76ers’ scapegoat this year. Fans seem convinced that Rivers is what’s holding the team back right now.
Doc Rivers has been an NBA head coach for 23 years now. In that span between four different teams he’s been to the NBA Conference Finals three times and to the NBA Finals twice, winning it all with Boston in 2008.
His teams have missed the playoffs only once since that fateful season and just four times in his entire career (not counting his 11-game spell with the Orlando Magic in the 2003-04 season).
Rivers can clearly get results in the regular season. His 1,043 wins are ninth-most in NBA history. But navigating the postseason has been a tough one for him over the past decade.
Will Rivers last the entire 2022-23 season?
Leave a Reply