The Philadelphia 76ers made the seemingly-logical move and let Doc Rivers go.
The team fell in the second round for the third consecutive season — all under Rivers, and they were never able to climb the ladder and reach that top-tier in terms of contention in the Eastern Conference.
However, Stephen A. Smith believes the Sixers made a mistake by firing Rivers, also stating that it was James Harden and Joel Embiid who are the ones that cost him his job.
.@stephenasmith reacts to the 76ers dismissal of Doc Rivers: pic.twitter.com/RC7cWG1hO0
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 16, 2023
Smith said that even though Harden led the league in assists per game this season, he still lost a step and isn’t the right guy for the roster, not to mention he and Embiid were no-shows in back-to-back close-out games.
That’s fair, but we cannot ignore the fact that Harden, as great a player as he is, is 33 years old already, so maybe putting all the blame on a 33-year-old co-star isn’t accurate.
Embiid wasn’t healthy, but he’s been bullied by Al Horford every single year he’s been in the league, healthy or not.
The Celtics simply seem to have his number, and it happens to the best players on Earth.
Rivers failed to take this team to the next level over and over, and it’s been the blueprint of his recent coaching experiences.
It’s hard to give him the benefit of the doubt after looking at his résumé and how his teams often fall short in the playoffs, even if Harden and Embiid shouldn’t be in the clear after yet another collapse in the postseason.
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Colin Cowherd Reacts To The Sixers Firing Doc Rivers
