Sixers’ firing of Doc Rivers was a raw deal — but it was expected after another second-round exit

Rivers was brought in to advance the Sixers to their first title since 1983 and second conference finals appearance since 1986. That didn't happen, and the consequences weren't surprising.

Sixers Head Coach Doc Rivers with guard James Harden against the Boston Celtics during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal playoffs on Thursday, May 11, 2023 in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Keith Pompey

Published May 16, 2023, 7:38 p.m. ET

No one should be surprised with any events that transpired during this 76ers season, including Doc Rivers’ firing.

Progressing in each of his first three seasons under Rivers, Joel Embiid was expected to become the league MVP. The Sixers were expected to be a good team, just not good enough to beat out the Boston Celtics or Milwaukee Bucks in a second-round playoff series.

And they failed to pull off an improbable second-round victory with Rivers’ job on the line.

Everything went according to expectation this season.

Embiid was named MVP on April 2. The Sixers’ season concluded Sunday with a 112-88 Game 7 loss to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. And Rivers, as expected, was fired on Tuesday.

“After having a chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship,” Morey said in a press release.

Was Rivers the scapegoat for a team that failed to live up to lofty expectations? The argument could be made.

Much has also been made about Rivers being hired on October, 2020, and Morey coming aboard a month later. Morey and Rivers took over a franchise that couldn’t get out of its own way and was prone to second-round exits.

The hiring of Rivers brought league-wide credibility that no Sixers figure had received since Jerry Colangelo was hired as chairman of basketball operations five years prior.

The organization was viewed as dysfunctional and deceptive around the NBA. That’s not to say that the team wasn’t talented, with two of the league’s best young players in Embiid and Ben Simmons. But the franchise didn’t hold players accountable, , made head-scratching front-office decisions, and experienced an overflow of injuries.

Then came Sept. 28, 2020, when the Los Angeles Clippers surprisingly fired Rivers as head coach. Three days later, he agreed to a deal to replace former Sixers head coach Brett Brown, who was fired on Aug. 24, 2020.

He instantly became the face and the voice of the franchise, or so it was thought.

Word broke on Oct. 28, 2020, that Morey, who had given up his Houston Rockets general manager post, would be named president.

This was an odd situation because league executives usually hire their own coaches — not inherit them. While they publicly co-existed, sources say Rivers and Morey didn’t always see eye-to-eye.

But they teamed up to lead the Sixers to regular-season success not seen in Philly in some time. The Sixers finished the 2020-21 season with the conference’s best record, a feat the Sixers hadn’t accomplished since 2001. Their 54 wins this season also were the most since 2001, when the team picked up 56 victories.

And the Sixers’ 154 regular-season wins in Rivers’ three seasons are the third-most victories by an NBA team during that time.

The problem is, Rivers and Morey were brought in to advance the Sixers beyond the second round for the first time since 2001. And that didn’t happen.

In Year 1, the Sixers lost in seven games to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 conference semifinals. Last season, they were ousted in six games by the Miami Heat. This season, they were unable to upset the Celtics in a series they led, 3-2.

Harden and Embiid struggled mighty in Sunday’s Game 7 loss.

Harden scored nine points on 3-for-11 shooting — and made just 1 of 5 three-pointers — along with five turnovers. Meanwhile, Embiid had 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting while turning the ball over four times.

Had they made shots, the narrative might have been how Rivers led the Sixers to their second conference final since 1986. Instead, it was about Rivers’ lack of adjustments and lack of faith in role players Morey acquired.

Rivers’ postseason failures were also laid bare. Overall, he has a 1,097-763 record over 24 seasons with the Orlando Magic, Celtics, Clippers, and Sixers. He has the second-most regular-season wins among active coaches and the ninth-most in NBA history. Rivers is on the verge of surpassing former Sixers coach and Hall of Famer Larry Brown (1,098 wins).

He also has the fourth-most postseason victories (111) and a 2008 NBA title. His other accolades include winning the 2000 NBA coach of the year and being named coach of the month twice this season.

Rather than focus on his accomplishments, the discussion centered on his league-worst 17-33 record in close-out games and streak of 10 straight defeats in second-round close-out games.

But as a former champion, Rivers was aware it would be hard to win this season. The Sixers needed a clean bill of health and a little luck. They got neither. Embiid played in the conference semifinals with a sprained right LCL, and the Sixers had the misfortune of drawing the Celtics in the second round.

And we can’t discount the report that Harden, who can opt out of his contract this summer, wanted another coach.

There was some thought around the league that Rivers would somehow keep his job. Now that he’s been let go, league executives are wondering how much the Harden report factored into Rivers’ firing.

Still, nothing that happened this season is surprising.