Doc Rivers or Mike D’Antoni: Who’s a better fit for the Philadelphia 76ers?
By Evan Wheeler
Doc Rivers and a potential fit with the Philadelphia 76ers
A Woj-Bomb dropped earlier this week when it was announced that the Clippers and head coach Doc Rivers had parted ways after seven seasons. But the move didn’t come as much of a surprise after the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in round two of the Western Conference playoffs, the second blown 3-1 lead for the team under Rivers.
It’s easy to see why he was scapegoated here, given Los Angeles’ lofty expectations after bringing in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George this past offseason. Rivers coaching decisions were mainly blamed for the collapse and he’s now the only coach in NBA history to have three teams blow 3-1 series leads, not something you’d like to be known for.
However, I think this was an extremely reactionary move by the Clippers and ultimately a mistake. Rivers only got one year with this current Clippers team and was a year removed from what some say is one of his best coaching jobs to date, leading the team to the playoffs with no real “superstar” player.
The blame for the Clippers’ collapse goes much further than just Rivers to me, no one wants to talk about Lou Williams’s complete lack of professionalism before entering the bubble, Montrezl Harrell’s lack of production during the series, or Paul George’s struggles (both on and off the floor) during the bubble. All of which I think played into the loss to Denver as much, if not more so than anything Rivers did coaching wise.