The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of tough personal decisions to navigate this summer — including who will become the team’s next coach. Here are the best options.
James Harden was most likely it driving force Doc Rivers left the Philadelphia 76ers after the team exited the early playoffs. It has now also been reported that James Harden is expected to sign with the Houston Rockets.
The interrelationship of these supposed realities leaves the six in a difficult position. On the one hand, maybe it’s time to fire Rivers and find a new voice. On the other hand, Rivers has got the support of Joel Embiid. Will the next coach get Embiid support? If the idea was to mollify Harden, now that sounds hollow.
Fortunately for the Sixers fan base, there are plenty of quality options inhabiting the market right now – a couple of them have already shared time with Embiid on the Sixers sidelines over the years. As for determining the best options, there should be one priority in mind above all else: Which coach can unleash Embiid’s full potential on offense when the playoffs arrive?
Top head coach choices for the Philadelphia 76ers to replace Doc Rivers
3. Mike Bodenholzer
Mike Bodenholzer has had his share of criticism over the years, but the Bucks’ decision to fire him after Milwaukee’s first-round exit was a mild surprise—even in the wake of such an abrupt, shocking, and disappointing end to the season. Budd has been pretty much a perennial 50-win coach since his days with the Atlanta Hawks. Few coaches can claim a more consistent track record in the regular season, and that’s half the battle for any contender.
Of course, the Sixers are not in this quagmire because the team hasn’t been able to win enough regular season games. Doc Rivers was also a good coach in the regular season. The problem is winning more games in the postseason, and that’s where a lot of question marks come into play with Budenholzer.
Here are the simple facts: First, Budenholzer won the NBA Championship in 2021. He reached the top of the mountain. You can doubt he’ll ever get him again, and fairly, but he’s got a better track record of recent postseason success than Doc Rivers. Budenholzer is one of the smartest defensive minds in the NBA, but he’s also the coach who opened Giannis up as an offensive powerhouse at the MVP level. Embiid is already an offensive powerhouse at the MVP level, but he has yet to make the playoffs. Perhaps Budenholzer could offer a new perspective and help get Embiid over the hump when it matters most.