When the Philadelphia 76ers fired Brett Brown and brought Doc Rivers in, they thought they were making a move that would help bring the roster together and elevate themselves to a championship contender.
On Thursday night, the Sixers exited the playoffs in the second round for the second straight year, as the Miami Heat trounced them in Game 6 in Philadelphia. While the Sixers certainly will wonder what could’ve been different had they had Joel Embiid fully healthy and available for the first two games, the performance once again left something to be desired.
For months, there have been whispers that Rivers might be on the hot seat now that the Sixers had gone all-in with the James Harden trade after Rivers was unable to bring Embiid and Ben Simmons together (and ultimately proved to be one of the forces that pushed Simmons to sit out until he was trades). Daryl Morey’s arrival meant Rivers no longer was answering to the person who hired him, and as the season wore on, there were rumblings Morey might turn his sights elsewhere (like old friend Mike D’Antoni) and that Rivers might also bolt for a return to L.A., where the Lakers are seeking a new coach to guide their fractured group.
But on Friday, despite all the rumors, Sixers executive Daryl Morey told the press that Rivers will get another chance to coach the team for the 2022-23 campaign.
Morey on if Rivers will be back next year: “Yes.”
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) May 13, 2022
Daryl Morey says Doc Rivers will be back as coach next season.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 13, 2022
Rivers has gone 100-54 in his two seasons in Philadelphia, but a 13-11 record in the postseason has led to frustration among the Sixers faithful. Time will tell what the future holds, but for now, Rivers will get the chance to improve on both of those marks next year.