Philadelphia 76ers: Accountability is Key for Doc Rivers

During Brett Brown's final days as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, the word accountability got thrown around a lot. As Sixers starting shooting guard Josh Richardson spoke to the media following Philly's Game 4 loss against the Boston Celtics, he reflected on being coached by Brown for the first time.

Although Richardson liked Brown, he felt the seventh-year head coach struggled with accountability. For the next few weeks, 'accountability' be a keyword surrounding the 76ers' organization. The word got thrown around so much that many began to think that accountability in the NBA is overrated.

However, 76ers new head coach Doc Rivers disagrees with that notion. "Accountability is key," Rivers said on Monday. "You know, Brett [Brown] did a great job; I want to start there. [He's] just a great guy and did a hell of a job. As far as accountability, it is on the players, but it has to start somewhere. And it has to start with the coaching staff and upstairs in the front office."

Before the Sixers hired Rivers, the team's General Manager Elton Brand didn't shy away from taking accountability for Philly's struggles last season. After a series of major moves were made last summer in terms of personnel -- the Sixers expected a championship run in 2019-2020. Four games into the playoffs, they were eliminated, and Brand didn't hesitate to admit the front office failed.

Now, Rivers comes into the organization with the expectation that the rest of the team, including the coaching staff, will hold themselves accountable when necessary. "Accountability has to be throughout your team," Rivers continued. "If you don't [take accountability], you're not gonna win. We have to be accountable to each other every single day. That's the only way we're going to be successful here."

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_