The Official Fire Doc Rivers Thread

[FireMorey]

If by “living off the championship” people mean him being regarded as an elite tier coach, I’d agree. If people mean still having a job, I can’t agree. He’s still a competent coach. At worst, decent, at best still good. There are way worse coaches than him who are still making the rounds in the NBA. I think he gets way too much heat, as do most coaches in this city.

[Negrodamus]

If by “living off the championship” people mean him being regarded as an elite tier coach, I’d agree. If people mean still having a job, I can’t agree. He’s still a competent coach. At worst, decent, at best still good. There are way worse coaches than him who are still making the rounds in the NBA. I think he gets way too much heat, as do most coaches in this city.

Nothing I want more in my championship run than a competent coach who deserves to still coach in the league.

I’d rather have a coach who can figure out how to maximize the pieces he has, a la Nurse, Spoelstra, etc.

[FireMorey]

If by “living off the championship” people mean him being regarded as an elite tier coach, I’d agree. If people mean still having a job, I can’t agree. He’s still a competent coach. At worst, decent, at best still good. There are way worse coaches than him who are still making the rounds in the NBA. I think he gets way too much heat, as do most coaches in this city.

Nothing I want more in my championship run than a competent coach who deserves to still coach in the league.

I’d rather have a coach who can figure out how to maximize the pieces he has, a la Nurse, Spoelstra, etc.

Me too. Good luck finding one, they don't grow on trees. The ideas to replace Doc Rivers thrown around by Sixers faithful have been Sam Cassell and Dawn Staley.

Let's be real here. If Popovich were available, the angst over Rivers being Sixers coach would have come legitimacy. But not for unknown quantities that no one knows will be anything whatsoever in the NBA.

Wake me up when a proven top tier coach becomes available.

[Negrodamus]

If by “living off the championship” people mean him being regarded as an elite tier coach, I’d agree. If people mean still having a job, I can’t agree. He’s still a competent coach. At worst, decent, at best still good. There are way worse coaches than him who are still making the rounds in the NBA. I think he gets way too much heat, as do most coaches in this city.

Nothing I want more in my championship run than a competent coach who deserves to still coach in the league.

I’d rather have a coach who can figure out how to maximize the pieces he has, a la Nurse, Spoelstra, etc.

Me too. Good luck finding one, they don't grow on trees. The ideas to replace Doc Rivers thrown around by Sixers faithful have been Sam Cassell and Dawn Staley.

Let's be real here. If Popovich were available, the angst over Rivers being Sixers coach would have come legitimacy. But not for unknown quantities that no one knows will be anything whatsoever in the NBA.

Wake me up when a proven top tier coach becomes available.

Maybe not trees; perhaps the Sixers bench

Read on Twitter

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[FireMorey]

Nothing I want more in my championship run than a competent coach who deserves to still coach in the league.

I’d rather have a coach who can figure out how to maximize the pieces he has, a la Nurse, Spoelstra, etc.

Me too. Good luck finding one, they don't grow on trees. The ideas to replace Doc Rivers thrown around by Sixers faithful have been Sam Cassell and Dawn Staley.

Let's be real here. If Popovich were available, the angst over Rivers being Sixers coach would have come legitimacy. But not for unknown quantities that no one knows will be anything whatsoever in the NBA.

Wake me up when a proven top tier coach becomes available.

Maybe not trees; perhaps the Sixers bench

Read on Twitter

?s=21&t=aRBrGBzkOG1hr0wjoE2sfA

Very anecdotal. For one, we have no idea how good of a coach Udoka is. To say he's better than Rivers right now after one year is beyond ridiculous. That's blind dislike for Rivers talking, not objectivity. No coach is ever better than any long-time veteran after one season. You need to build up a resume over time.

And even if Udoka does prove over time he is a great coach, that doesn't mean anyone on the bench now will be. People thought Monty Williams was this amazing generational coach and he's won nothing. Lost in the Finals last year and this year got obliterated on their home court in a game 7 while also blowing a 2-0 series lead.

[stormi]

Just wish we had somebody in the fo with the capability to find a Nurse, Sploestra or Stevens (or Udoka). None of them were proven but all had immediate success.

Can throw Monty Williams in there. Willie Green. J Kidd.

The Lakers finally broke out of the name chasing cycle with the hiring of Darvin Ham (who I really like).

It's about doing your due diligence and finding a candidate that has a philosophy and is willing to take the time to foster an identity within an organization. 3 years into the Doc Rivers experiment and all I've seen is him throwing his players under the bus, not having any sort of tactical acumen and then embarrassing himself time and time again at the podium in the face of reporters.

The Philadelphia 76ers are not a serious franchise.

[stormi]

Udoka had the courage to play two traditional 5 men in Timelord and Horford together and created the best defense in basketball. He's miles ahead of Doctor Rivers as a basketball mind.

[Negrodamus]

Me too. Good luck finding one, they don't grow on trees. The ideas to replace Doc Rivers thrown around by Sixers faithful have been Sam Cassell and Dawn Staley.

Let's be real here. If Popovich were available, the angst over Rivers being Sixers coach would have come legitimacy. But not for unknown quantities that no one knows will be anything whatsoever in the NBA.

Wake me up when a proven top tier coach becomes available.

Maybe not trees; perhaps the Sixers bench

Read on Twitter

?s=21&t=aRBrGBzkOG1hr0wjoE2sfA

Very anecdotal. For one, we have no idea how good of a coach Udoka is. To say he's better than Rivers right now after one year is beyond ridiculous. That's blind dislike for Rivers talking, not objectivity. No coach is ever better than any long-time veteran after one season. You need to build up a resume over time.

And even if Udoka does prove over time he is a great coach, that doesn't mean anyone on the bench now will be. People thought Monty Williams was this amazing generational coach and he's won nothing. Lost in the Finals last year and this year got obliterated on their home court in a game 7 while also blowing a 2-0 series lead.

Can you give me the concrete evidence that Doc is better than my interpretation. You can start with his conference finals record over the past decade with players in their prime like Joel Embiid, Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard, Blake Griffin, JJ Redick, Paul George to name a few.

[FireMorey]

Maybe not trees; perhaps the Sixers bench

Read on Twitter

?s=21&t=aRBrGBzkOG1hr0wjoE2sfA

Very anecdotal. For one, we have no idea how good of a coach Udoka is. To say he's better than Rivers right now after one year is beyond ridiculous. That's blind dislike for Rivers talking, not objectivity. No coach is ever better than any long-time veteran after one season. You need to build up a resume over time.

And even if Udoka does prove over time he is a great coach, that doesn't mean anyone on the bench now will be. People thought Monty Williams was this amazing generational coach and he's won nothing. Lost in the Finals last year and this year got obliterated on their home court in a game 7 while also blowing a 2-0 series lead.

Can you give me the concrete evidence that Doc is better than my interpretation. You can start with his conference finals record over the past decade with players in their prime like Joel Embiid, Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard, Blake Griffin, JJ Redick, Paul George to name a few.

I don’t know what your interpretation is, for one.

Secondly, I don’t value playoff success as highly as you do. I actually put more weight into regular season success to evaluate coaches. It’s a larger sample size. I don’t ignore playoffs, it factors into a big pot. He’s won a lot of games in the NBA and teams generally get better when he gets there. The Sixers jumped to the #1 seed the first year he got to Philly and probably would’ve been the #1 seed again this year had Embiid not gotten COVID. That’s pretty damn good. And Embiid got hurt and that was that, their season was done. Not really Rivers’ fault.

If you’re going to recent team-wide playoff failures against him, you’re going to have to explain specifically what makes it his fault and not use generalizations or cliches that don’t have any real meaning like “he’s responsible for how players play in big games” or stuff like that. And I stress what makes him responsible, not things he did wrong. Every coach makes mistakes in a playoffs, but what makes Rivers more to blame than any other coach? Spoelstra foolishly played Lowry for 2 games on one leg vs the Sixers. The great Erik Spoelstra. Basically played 4 on 5 for 2 games, let the Sixers get back into the series. No one calls him out on it because he’s Spoelstra and people like him. If Rivers did that he would’ve been trashed.

The reality is people don’t like Doc because he can be obnoxious and rude to the media and condescending to the fans, so things are held more against him than are other coaches. People cherry pick what to blame and not blame coaches for all the time and when it’s a coach people don’t like they always hold more things against those coaches than other coaches they do like.

[Negrodamus]

I see where we differ. I don’t care about the regular season if you can’t generate playoff success. Regular season means nothing. Prob why I dont like Doc.

[mjkvol]

Just wish we had somebody in the fo with the capability to find a Nurse, Sploestra or Stevens (or Udoka). None of them were proven but all had immediate success.

Can throw Monty Williams in there. Willie Green. J Kidd.

The Lakers finally broke out of the name chasing cycle with the hiring of Darvin Ham (who I really like).

It's about doing your due diligence and finding a candidate that has a philosophy and is willing to take the time to foster an identity within an organization. 3 years into the Doc Rivers experiment and all I've seen is him throwing his players under the bus, not having any sort of tactical acumen and then embarrassing himself time and time again at the podium in the face of reporters.

The Philadelphia 76ers are not a serious franchise.

This is just one example, but how about this as a contrast - Rivers left Seth Curry on the floor to be torched by the likes of Kevin Huerter time and again down the stretch as the Sixers lost to an average Hawks team on their home floor in game 7. Spoelstra didn't even play his second best offensive weapon the entire second half of a game 7 the Heat had no right even being in after watching Herro get hunted in his few minutes in the 2nd quarter. It's that kind of in-game coaching, among other things, that separates Rivers from the really good ones.

[Murray_17]

Playoff is where matchups and coaching adaptability matters. So it's obviously where coaching gets more exposed.

Look how the Mavs hided Luka on defense once the Suns started to attack him and you would see how great coaches adapt.

Regular season is about stablishing rotations and a system but that system is gonna get tested on the playoffs, your rotations are gonna get tested too. Flexibility is key in keepin up

[Embiid P]

Just wish we had somebody in the fo with the capability to find a Nurse, Sploestra or Stevens (or Udoka). None of them were proven but all had immediate success.

Can throw Monty Williams in there. Willie Green. J Kidd.

The Lakers finally broke out of the name chasing cycle with the hiring of Darvin Ham (who I really like).

It's about doing your due diligence and finding a candidate that has a philosophy and is willing to take the time to foster an identity within an organization. 3 years into the Doc Rivers experiment and all I've seen is him throwing his players under the bus, not having any sort of tactical acumen and then embarrassing himself time and time again at the podium in the face of reporters.

The Philadelphia 76ers are not a serious franchise.

This is just one example, but how about this as a contrast - Rivers left Seth Curry on the floor to be torched by the likes of Kevin Huerter time and again down the stretch as the Sixers lost to an average Hawks team on their home floor in game 7. Spoelstra didn't even play his second best offensive weapon the entire second half of a game 7 the Heat had no right even being in after watching Herro get hunted in his few minutes in the 2nd quarter. It's that kind of in-game coaching, among other things, that separates Rivers from the really good ones.

This. Also, remember he single-handedly cost us Game 1 vs. the Hawks by leaving the corpse of Danny Green on Tre Young in the first half which put us into a hole that we weren't able to climb out of.

Point is, he can't win it all without superior talent over other teams. Mind you, you can say that about a lot of coaches, but there are a few that can overcome inferior talent to beat teams with superior talent. Unfortunately for us, Rivers is not one of those coaches.

[youngcrev]

Mike O'Connor had a decent piece where he semi-defended Doc (is calling him mediocre instead of bad considered defending him?).

It basically broke down to Doc has his warts as a coach, but his schemes are mostly fine and fit the personnel, and if he wasn't such a condescending dick to the fans/media we probably wouldn't want him gone so bad.

[ankle420breaker]

Rumors continue to swirl of Qwin and Utah parting ways. One of the sharper minds in the game.... shouldn't take long for him to land elsewhere if he hits the market.

Sent from my SM-S901U using RealGM mobile app

[mjkvol]

I'll never get the idea of liking or disliking a coach based on how he 'treats' the media/fans. To me, just win and you can be the biggest d-bag in press conferences that you want to be. The reason that Pop has gotten away with being a jerk is that he's won multiple championships. Parcells only won twice, but was always as big a dick publicly as any coach I've ever seen, and the media endlessly kissed his ass.

Rivers won one title with a stacked Boston team a decade and a half ago, but has piled up a collection of playoff meltdowns since then that few if any coaches will ever match, including a couple of doozies here. He is stubborn to a fault, is not proactive with regard to in game adjustments, and won't sacrifice regular season games to develop young players and give his veterans more rest. He never takes responsibility or ownership of those failures, instead making excuses and even throwing his players under the bus. Those are my issues with Rivers, and his condescension only exacerbates the problem.

[youngcrev]

Rumors continue to swirl of Qwin and Utah parting ways. One of the sharper minds in the game.... shouldn't take long for him to land elsewhere if he hits the market.

Sent from my SM-S901U using RealGM mobile app

Sounds like he's burned out and wants to take the year off.

[stormi]

What does Doc to do inspire confidence to anyone besides just simply playing out a 2K curated starting five?

I see no adaptability. Having good players and playing the good players you were granted doesn't make you a good coach.

[the_process]

I'll never get the idea of liking or disliking a coach based on how he 'treats' the media/fans. To me, just win and you can be the biggest d-bag in press conferences that you want to be. The reason that Pop has gotten away with being a jerk is that he's won multiple championships. Parcells only won twice, but was always as big a dick publicly as any coach I've ever seen, and the media endlessly kissed his ass.

Rivers won one title with a stacked Boston team a decade and a half ago, but has piled up a collection of playoff meltdowns since then that few if any coaches will ever match, including a couple of doozies here. He is stubborn to a fault, is not proactive with regard to in game adjustments, and won't sacrifice regular season games to develop young players and give his veterans more rest. He never takes responsibility or ownership of those failures, instead making excuses and even throwing his players under the bus. Those are my issues with Rivers, and his condescension only exacerbates the problem.

[Zumramania]

Mike O'Connor had a decent piece where he semi-defended Doc (is calling him mediocre instead of bad considered defending him?).

It basically broke down to Doc has his warts as a coach, but his schemes are mostly fine and fit the personnel, and if he wasn't such a condescending dick to the fans/media we probably wouldn't want him gone so bad.

Nobody is saying he is bad...if he were bad, he would not have been hired in the first place and that would have been a good outcome for us.
He is just a mediocre or slightly above average coach when he doesn't have a fully stacked roster full of all star veterans (and even then he failed on a few occasions). The reality is that the top teams of eastern conference are run by innovative and adaptable coaches, the differences in talent are not that big and we will never assemble a team which will be considerably more talented than all other eastern conference top playoff teams. Thus we need great coaching to win.

Kudos to Morey if he thinks that Doc is our guy, but in my opinion he should have been fired after the Atlanta loss. I believe that I share the sentiment and frustration of many Sixers fans when I say that I'm not that excited about the next playoff run with Doc at the helm, something is just bound to go wrong regardless of the roster.

And regular season, I mean, other teams are known to rest their best players and get them ready for the playoffs, Jimmy Butler is known to play with a handbrake and so on, obviously it doesn't mean that much, except to get a top 3 seed. However, the primary goal of all good teams is to get ready for the playoffs in every sense, while being good in the regular season. This is the hard part. The goal is not to devise a winning scheme for the regular season that falls apart in the second round of the playoffs and run down your players before the real games even begin.