It was reflection time for Doc Rivers after another second-round playoff exit and dismissal from the Philadelphia 76ers.
Rivers was tasked as a culture-changer to pick up the pieces of “The Process” that gave Philadelphia top-3 draft picks for four straight seasons.
“Their culture has definitely gotten better. I had a big part in that. Now the growth from there, it still has to get better,” Rivers explained to Bill Simmons on his podcast. “If that happens, then they have a chance, but if it doesn’t happen, Bill, they’re not going to win. It has to keep growing.”
But the scars of that losing runs deep.
“We forget his first two years [Joel Embiid] didn’t play, and Bill, I’m telling you, that sets a tone,” Rivers explained. “When you get used to not playing in games, that sets a tone. You know Ben Simmons went through the same thing; he missed that first year.”
In 2021, Rivers threw Simmons out of practice, before being traded to the Nets.
Simmons has now missed 122 of a possible 164 games in the last two seasons.
“When I got there my first year, it was huge. ‘Joe, you need to pay tonight’ – ‘Joe, you can play tonight,'” Coach Rivers said of Embiid. “Now he’s up and crossed that barrier. The next one [next barrier] will be making his teammates better. When he gets that, it’s going to be hard to stop. And I think he can do it.”
Rivers also seemed to mention the organizations’ stance on decision-making and media relations as a reason for continued issues with the culture in Philadelphia.
“Very media – um – alert is the word I’m using,” Rivers said. “Sometimes you can’t worry about that. You just got to do your job and worry about the basketball part. And not the reaction to everything that happens.”
Did you like coaching James [Harden]? Was it ok? How would you rate the experience?” Simmons asked of Rivers.
“It was challenging,” Rivers said. “We were fighting two things. Not visually fighting. But James is so good at playing one way. And the way I believe you have to play to win is in some ways different.”
Rivers mentions that he would’ve liked to utilize Harden in other ways, such as working on off-ball movement, including dribble hand-offs.
“I would have loved to have him younger,” Rivers said.
Harden enters free agency this offseason with rumors swirling that he will head to Houston and be a Rocket once more.
But regardless of his destination, the 76ers will move forward with new coach Nick Nurse, he signed a long-term deal to try and get the team over the hump.
The multi-time NBA Coach of the Year, Rivers mentioned he will take the year off, potentially doing some TV and podcasting appearances while also spending some time with Nick Saban at Alabama.
