After all the meetings, searching, and leverage leaks, the 76ers finally hired Glenn “Doc” Rivers as their new Head Coach. Just last week, we were destined to have either Ty Lue or Mike D’Antoni as the new head coach. This flipped quickly once Doc Rivers and the Clippers parted ways on Monday after the Clippers’ collapse in the Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Denver Nuggets. Once the news broke about Rivers, Elton Brand contacted his agent looking to speak with them about his interest in the opening. Rivers was on a flight to Philadelphia within 24 hours and met with GM Elton Brand and the Sixers ownership group on Wednesday. It was reported that Doc spent all day with Brand and then watched the Game 1 of the NBA Finals with the owners and a deal was struck then. Rivers and the 76ers agreed to a five-year deal, with the yearly amount not being disclosed yet.

The Sixers are hoping that Doc Rivers’ Championship pedigree will help unlock the potential of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Rivers is a well-respected coach and should command the locker room immediately, which is something that reportedly Brett Brown lacked. The Sixers are also hoping that Doc Rivers can unlock the potential of Tobias Harris, who signed a max deal last summer. Harris was consistent during the season but never lived up to the expectations of his contract. In the playoffs, he was virtually a no show. Before being traded to the Sixers, Tobias Harris was having his best season under Doc Rivers on the Clippers. He averaged 21 PPG on 50 percent shooting playing under Doc and was arguably an All-Star.

Doc Rivers fell into the Sixers’ lap and in my opinion, this was the best outcome for this team. He has won a championship just like Ty Lue. He may not be as offensively inclined as Mike D’Antoni, but his teams had the ability to score (4^th in the league in scoring in 2019-2020). There are also reports of Rivers adding former Pelicans’ Head Coach Alvin Gentry to his staff, which would add some innovation to the Sixers offense. Rivers will have to deal with the hand that is dealt to him regarding this roster and bring the best out of this team. Ultimately, I think Elton Brand will make some changes to the roster to improve the spacing around Ben and Joel. Once, those moves are made, we will then be able to assess Rivers’ impact on the team.