The Philadelphia 76ers and the New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly interested in looking into potentially hiring Doc Rivers as their head coach.
This year’s biggest season-opening news was about the Leonard-George tandem in Los Angeles. It eclipsed even the trade of Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. Expectations for this year’s Clippers team was sky-high. Unfortunately, even before they even reached the pinnacle, they fell down face flat to the ground.
The players had all the excuses for why they failed to reach the Western Conference Finals. Paul George said that they needed the time to play with each other. However, their head coach had a different take. Instead of making excuses, he absorbed all the blame for his team’s failures.
It is this trait that makes Doc Rivers such a quality coaching talent in the market. Now that he’s considered as a free agent, several teams are looking into bringing him into the fold.
Philadelphia 76ers have a vacant coaching position
The 76ers are looking to push the reset button from the Brett Brown era. For some reason, his stint with the Sixers just didn’t click despite having so much talent around him. Team general manager Elton Brand has started the search for the team’s next coach.
The candidate has to be a proven and seasoned coach. The simple reason is that the coach has to manage both Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Both players are extremely talented on their own, but utilizing such developed talent will take some effort to do.
Fortunately, the market has Doc Rivers to offer. He’s a proven coach that has one championship as a coach to his record. He has also managed numerous superstars in his stint as a head coach. He’s had to manage Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and Blake Griffin, to name a few.
As such, slotting him right in the Sixers’ head coaching position might be an easy task. He will also have Tobias Harris, whom Rivers has coached with the Clips. They both like each other, which can make Rivers’ transition to the Sixers’ organization smoother.
The Pelicans could benefit from Doc Rivers
The New Orleans Pelicans can be considered a winner in the Anthony Davis trade sweepstakes. Yes, they traded one of the league’s most powerful big men. However, they also got a haul as a replacement for him. In place for Davis, the Pelicans got superstars in the making in the form of Brandom Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart.
The last two names are still in their early player developments. However, Ingram, for his part, has blossomed into a lethal player. As such, the Pelicans will also need a seasoned coach to take this team into full development. Again, Doc Rivers fits the bill.
He entered the Clippers organization with a relatively young Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. After just a season, he was able to fully convert the Clippers into a constant contender in the West. Rivers can most likely do the same with the current Pelicans team.
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