While only five games have passed in the new season, there is much cause for concern for the Philadelphia 76ers, a team with high hopes of competing for an NBA championship led by a core of Joel Embiid and James Harden. However, the Sixers have gone off to a less-than-ideal 1-4 start, their latest loss coming at the hands of the Toronto Raptors, and head coach Doc Rivers didn't hold back when asked to assess his team's struggles.
“They kicked out butt,” Rivers said, per Adam Laskaris of Daily Hive.
The Raptors exerted more effort than the Sixers on both ends of the floor, outrebounding Philly, 39-34, and outmuscling them in the paint, scoring 46 points in the shaded area compared to 42 for the Sixers, despite the presence of All-NBA center Joel Embiid, who dropped 31 points on 12-17 from the field.
Even Tyrese Maxey came to play, tallying an equal points tally to that of Embiid's on 12-21 shooting, to go along with six assists and two steals, while James Harden wasn't too shabby either, scoring 18 points with nine dimes. Nonetheless, something clearly isn't working for the Sixers in the early goings of the season, even if they faced a murderer's row of opponents in the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Raptors.
Doc Rivers was quick to credit the head coach on the opposing bench, Nick Nurse, for putting his players in an optimal position to succeed, something Rivers hasn't quite done yet thus far in the season.
“He’s an excellent coach, he does a great job. [The challenge is] their defence… their offence, you get them in the half court, you feel pretty good about your chances to stop them,” Rivers added.
Doc Rivers on #Raptors HC Nick Nurse: “He’s an excellent coach, he does a great job. [The challenge is] their defence… their offence, you get them in the half court, you feel pretty good about your chances to stop them.” pic.twitter.com/fizVI946lT
— Adam Laskaris (@adam_la2karis) October 27, 2022
Plenty of Sixers fans are calling for a change in the team's coaching ranks, stemming from the frustration that has been brewing since the Sixers' meltdown during the 2021 postseason against the Atlanta Hawks. For the past few seasons, Rivers' reputation has gone downhill, what with him being assigned a considerable amount of blame for the Los Angeles Clippers' 3-1 collapse in the NBA bubble.
Many fans and pundits alike have criticized Doc Rivers' inability to adjust, but with the 61-year old head coach signed until 2025, it appears as if it's likelier for Rivers to stay than to be jettisoned. In addition, president of Sixers basketball operations Daryl Morey gave him a vote of confidence earlier in the offseason, so it seems as if Rivers' job is safe for now.
Nevertheless, the Sixers have to figure something out fast, as they prepare for a rematch against the Raptors on Friday night.
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