Joel Embiid, James Harden Share Thoughts on Doc Rivers

Joel Embiid and James Harden share their thoughts on 76ers head coach Doc Rivers.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ 2022-2023 season has officially come to an end. With a Game 7 loss against the Boston Celtics, the Sixers have once again come up short in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The last time the Sixers lost to the Celtics in the playoffs, Philadelphia was swept in the first round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Shortly after the Sixers’ season concluded, they parted ways with former head coach Brett Brown.

That’s when Doc Rivers entered the picture. Since taking over as the Sixers’ head coach, the team has made the playoffs in three-straight seasons. Each time, the Sixers won their first-round series. However, they came up short every time in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

This year is no different. Heading into the second round, many outsiders speculated that Rivers’ job could be on the line. Following a disappointing Game 7 loss, Rivers acknowledged that while no head coaching job seems safe in the NBA, he intends to at least finish out the final two seasons on his contract.

Many wondered how the stars of the Sixers view Rivers following another short-lived playoff run. While James Harden’s future in Philadelphia is in question, considering he could become a free agent this summer, Harden mentioned that his relationship with Rivers is “okay.”

As for Joel Embiid, he praised the head coach for his services over the last few seasons.

“I thought he’s done a fantastic job,” said Embiid. “He came in, I think we’ve gotten better over the years. I thought he’s done a great job. I don’t make the decisions. I think he should be fine. We got a great relationship, and you look at the way he handled the whole situation that we had a year or two ago. I thought he kept the team afloat. He’s been a great leader for all of us. A great motivator.”

As the current league MVP and the face of the Sixers’ franchise, Embiid’s opinion holds a lot of weight in Philadelphia. But at the end of the day, he likes to leave those decisions ultimately up to those who are in charge of team personnel.

“You look at what’s been happening all over the league, it’s tough, but then again, I’m glad I don’t make those decisions, but I think all those guys, they deserve to have jobs,” Embiid explained. “Coach Monty (Williams) does a great job. He’s a great coach, and I think he’s done a fantastic job. You look at his team, I think he’s gotten the best of all those guys. Coach Bud (Mike Budenholzer) from Milwaukee, winning a championship, he did the best job he could. At the end of the day, maybe GMs and owners, they have a different mindset. Sometimes, change is good. Maybe that’s what they believe, but as far as us, I’m just glad I don’t make those decisions, and that’s not my job, and that’s out of my payroll. Coach has been fantastic, and he’s done a great job, in my opinion.”

The Sixers have a lot to think about over the offseason as they work to find out how they can finally get over the second-round hump. The hiring of Rivers in 2020 was supposed to be a key to the Sixers getting beyond the second round. So far, that hasn’t happened yet. 

Getting a public endorsement from Embiid could go a long way for Rivers — but as the head coach mentioned after Game 7 — no one’s safe in the NBA. The Sixers aren’t rumored to be making any coaching changes at this time, but all eyes will be on them in the coming days to see if that changes.