Prove Me Wrong, Doc

I hope every word I’m about to write ends up being very wrong.

Doc Rivers is the new head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. Days after being parting ways from the Clippers, Rivers was in Philadelphia being courted by Sixers management before finally agreeing to a five year deal.

As a fan, I’m rooting for him. But being realistic, it’s worrisome. This feels like a very Sixers move. The front office seemed to be taking its time in its head coaching search, creating optimism that they would find the best fit for their talent. But the moment Doc became available, they just HAD to have him.

But is this the guy?

We just saw Doc get thoroughly out-coached in not one, but two rounds of the playoffs before eventually collapsing in epic fashion to the Nuggets. That was Rivers’ THIRD 3-1 lead that he has blown in his career, the most all time. On top of that, he had only made it out of the first round TWICE in his seven year tenure with the Clippers prior to this year’s playoffs. That’s with a hall of fame point guard Chris Paul, perennial All-Star Blake Griffin, Deandre Jordan and others. Needless to say, aside from his time with the Celtics, Doc Rivers’ teams have massively underachieved, with this year’s flop being the worst of them. Is it a good idea to pair an underachieving team with an underachieving coach? Do two negatives equal a positive?

Now don’t get me wrong, Doc Rivers is a great leader of men and a champion. But it’s not his leadership I’m worried about. It’s the X’s and O’s. Is it possible that his coaching style is outdated? His only championship win came over a decade ago with a Boston team that featured 4 Hall of Fame players. This year’s postseason failure illuminated some of his shortcomings as a coach. While the Mavericks and Nuggets were clicking on all cylinders in a clearly defined system, we saw no such system from the Clippers. It was get the ball to Kawhi, Paul George, Or Lou Will and let’s watch them go one-on-one. On paper, this should have been enough to win on sheer talent alone. But when the stars collapsed, so did Doc’s “system”.

This Sixers team more than anything, needs a system. A system built around our superstars so that they can coexist on the court while maximizing their abilities. Based on what we saw in the playoffs, it’s hard to know if Doc is that guy. Hiring a coach with a high profile is not what we need to gain respect around this league. Respect in this league comes from winning.

Welcome to Philly Doc.
Please prove me wrong.