The Philadelphia 76ers could go one of two ways in the playoffs this year. They could harness all the talent on the roster and make a deep postseason run, or they could flame out early in disappointing fashion a la 2020-21.
If Philly goes with the latter option, there is a very good chance that head coach Doc Rivers will get fired.
“The Sixers as a whole have the pressure to get deep into the playoffs,” insider Jamie Apody reported this week.
“They’ve only gotten out of the second round two times since 1986, this would be the second time if they were to do it. That’s a long time… They (Philly fans) are not big fans of Doc Rivers right now. I think Philadelphia 76ers fans see Rivers as getting into the team’s way. Should the Sixers get bounced early, that’s gonna be Rivers’ head for sure.”
Fortunately for Rivers, if things do go bad for him with the Sixers, there appears to be another squad with legitimate interest in him: the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Doc Rivers, the Philadelphia 76ers’ head coach, is another active bench leader being mentioned by league personnel as a potential Lakers candidate,” Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported this week.
“Rivers’ tenure in Philadelphia has also come into question of late, spurred by team president Daryl Morey’s deadline acquisition of James Harden and the mounting speculation that followed about a potential reunification with Harden’s former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni.”
On Tuesday, Rivers addressed the topic of taking the Lakers vacancy.
“I have a job. We want to win here,” Rivers told Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times.
Of course, that doesn’t address what Rivers’ position on the Lakers opening would be if he didn’t have a job, which is a realistic scenario after this year’s playoffs.
The growing beef between Rivers and Harden is a matter of public record. As is the fact that Rivers slowly seems to be losing the locker room.
That’s one way to celebrate 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting, five rebounds, four turnovers and six fouls.https://t.co/zXkaC9t1fX
— Game 7 (@game7__) April 13, 2022
This will be an interesting story to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
Obviously if Philly wins a title then this whole thing is moot. But if not, don’t be surprised to hear the Rivers-to-LA rumors intensify once more.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
