The Philadelphia 76ers, under Head Coach Doc Rivers‘ leadership, lost in the second round yet again. They should have been the strongest contenders in the East after Bucks’ elimination in Round 1. As a result, Rivers lost his coaching job, while it looks like the Sixers are running it back with Joel Embiid and, hopefully, James Harden. As Daryl Morey and Co look for their next head coach, Shaquille O’Neal shared a suggestion for them on The Big Podcast.
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This was the 3rd straight season for the Rivers-led side to get knocked out in the 2nd round. The Sixers’ management let go of the veteran coach after he failed to resolve the same issues the team has had throughout his 3-year stint with the franchise. They relied too much on shooting when they should have been dominating the paint. O’Neal’s advice for Morey is to get someone who can tell Embiid the truth about it.
“Joel Embiid needs somebody that he respects”: Shaquille O’Neal
On the recent episode of The Big Podcast, Nischelle Turner asked Shaquille O’Neal about the next coach of the 76ers. He started by saying that Joel Embiid must have been involved in the decision to let go of coach Doc Rivers before answering her question.
“Probably it was time for a change. He [Joel Embiid] is going to need to get somebody that he respects, and somebody that could tell him the truth,” said O’Neal. “Because the truth of the matter is, ‘you’re too big and too talented to be shooting jumpers all the time.’”
As Shaq brought up how he and head coach Phil Jackson left the Lakers together in 2004, we must remember how Jackson helped him develop into an MVP and a Champion from just a dominant All-Star who enjoyed playing basketball.
Embiid requires a coach who could bring the same out of him. While there might not be another Phil in the market, there are plenty of coaches seeking employment with different specialties.
Coaching options available for the Sixers
We saw various head coaches lose their jobs in the past month. The Sixers have time to decide who suits them the best after their early elimination from the Playoffs.
They started their search last week, and Mike D’Antoni, Monty Williams, Sam Cassell, Nick Nurse, Mike Budenholzer, and Frank Vogel are the six possible candidates for the job as of now. The latter three among them have each won the championship between 2019 and 2021.
Cassell, who is a Sixers’ assistant coach, might not get it because of his inexperience. D’Antoni should be skipped because of his preference for all-out offense and lack of defensive game plans.
Nick Nurse might not get it because of his leaked clip criticizing James Harden’s game. Monty Williams might be left out for his failure to do justice with Deandre Ayton.
Having coached a 2x MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo and leading him to a championship, Budenholzer might be the best option for the Sixers.
