Sixers Admire Doc Rivers' Success Through Ben Simmons Saga

Doc Rivers might be considered one of the NBA's top coaches of all time, but he has a playoff reputation that often overshadows his spot on that list. In 2003,

Doc Rivers might be considered one of the NBA's top coaches of all time, but he has a playoff reputation that often overshadows his spot on that list.

In 2003, Rivers' Orlando Magic blew a 3-1 lead against the Detroit Pistons. In 2009, Rivers' Boston Celtics lost a 3-2 lead against the Los Angeles Clippers. During the 2010 playoffs, Boston blew a 3-2 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for the title.

Then in 2012, the Celtics came up short in the Eastern Conference Finals as they lost a 3-2 lead over the Miami Heat. As for the Clippers, they lost a 3-1 lead over the Houston Rockets in 2015 -- and then lost a 3-1 lead over the Denver Nuggets in 2020.

Last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Rivers gave a little more proof to the theory that he has a hard time avoiding collapsing in the playoffs.

During the second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, the Sixers were the top seed facing the fifth seed. While the Sixers never had the Hawks facing elimination before Game 7, the Sixers did blow multiple significant leads, allowing the Hawks to steal games they had no business winning.  

And when Game 7 rolled around, the Sixers were favored to put away the fifth-seeded Hawks. However, they couldn't get out of their own way. With a 103-96 loss, the Sixers failed to make it out of the second round -- and many believed that the Sixers made the wrong choice by putting Doc Rivers in charge.

Are the Sixers Concerned?

The 76ers knew they blew it last year. While Rivers certainly isn't above criticism, the second-round series loss was a team effort. But many believed that Rivers' seat was still hot heading into the 2021-2022 NBA season.

But at the All-Star break, it seems that's not necessarily the case. According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, Rivers has received "considerable admiration" from his bosses this year as he's kept the Sixers on the right path considering everything that's transpired from the past offseason to the trade deadline.

"The 76ers are adamant that they believe Doc Rivers is the right coach to oversee the Joel Embiid/James Harden partnership and end the club’s championship drought, according to one source with knowledge of Philadelphia’s thinking."

The Sixers were forced to play without one of their All-Stars for more than 50 games this season, and it wasn't due to injury. Since Ben Simmons was holding out for a trade, his absence was more of a distraction than anything.

But the Sixers kept it together. Before the trade deadline, Philly held a 33-22 record. After getting rid of Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and draft picks to land James Harden and Paul Millsap, the Sixers won three games and lost one before the All-Star break without every name except for Millsap mentioned above.

Entering the final stretch of the 2021-2022 season, the Sixers hold a 35-23 record, which places them in third place. And they did it without a second All-Star on the court. Granted, Joel Embiid's MVP-caliber play is certainly a primary reason why the Sixers haven't collapsed in the regular season, but Doc Rivers deserves a lot of credit for keeping the team focused and avoiding all distractions.

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