NBA: 3 head coaches facing the most pressure to deliver big in 2021-22

1. Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers

This was an easy choice; Doc Rivers definitely has the least desirable coaching position at this point. The poor guy; he would trade his own son in an effort to win the championship. In fact, he did trade his own son, unfortunately, a championship didn’t follow. Ever since that 2008 Celtics championship, Doc has been the head coach of a number of teams that were picked to win a championship but always came up short.

First, Doc’s playoff history. Rivers has now been in multiple playoff series in which their team was up 3-1 in the series and had chocked the series away. It happened in his Clippers tenure twice, with a few early first-round exits sprinkled in their as well. Ultimately leading to the Clippers and Rivers parting way. Which is what led him to Philly.

The Sixers had a great regular season in Rivers’ first year as their head coach. Finishing with the No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs, a healthy Ben Simmons, and a healthy Joel Embiid, what could go wrong? Well.. What always happens, seemed to happen again. The lower seeded Atlanta Hawks took it to the Sixers and won game five and game seven on the road to knock out Philadelphia.

Second, the Ben Simmons debacle. Simmons is in the beginning stages of a holdout, and is not reporting to training camp, and has also said he does not wish to play another game for the Sixers. Simmons’ confidence seemed to waver in the middle of last season when his name was being thrown in as the potential piece to get James Harden in a sixers uniform.

Obviously, the deal didn’t go through as Harden ended up being dealt to Brooklyn. However, it still affected Simmons. And it carried through the rest of the regular season and was heightened in the playoffs. The replay of Simmons passing up a layup in a critical point in game seven against the Hawks was played on every sports media outlet and discussed tirelessly. He was literally afraid to shoot the ball, even in the paint, which everyone knows is his strong suit. And unfortunately for Doc, and the Sixers, Simmons has requested a trade.

With four years left on a contract, and his stock at the lowest it will ever be unless he just decides to play blindfolded next year. Simmons has put the entire organization in a difficult spot and made it to where the Sixers will likely have to take back pennies on the dollar in exchange if a deal does get done. Or if this thing drags out, it will be a major distraction and the team will have a guy on their payroll who doesn’t want to be there, doesn’t practice with the team, and doesn’t play.

When Doc took this job last year, it was an opportunity to be back in the East, where he had had success before. Coach a younger, contender that prior to him getting there, was deemed as the only missing piece being a great head coach. And it looked like the pieces were coming together.

But it seems that one star player relationship has been tarnished, and that’s Simmons. Whether you like him or not, he is one of the pillars of the franchise. There’s not really a scenario where this upcoming season goes seamlessly. I think no matter what the outcome will be, it won’t be Doc’s end goal, and even if it gets close to said goal, it will be one bumpy ride.