“Could Get this Team to Finals”- NBA Analyst Picks Joel Embiid as Key for Doc Rivers at 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have a fresh start. After another disappointing post-season, the 76ers brought in Doc Rivers as the new Head Coach. Philly fans will hope that Rivers finds it in himself to get Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons up to their full potential.

Doc Rivers is one of the best coaches in the league. He won an NBA Championship in 2008 with the Boston Celtics and has a proven track record to get players to win. However, after another collapse with the Clippers, he walked away from the position.

For the 76ers, they parted ways with Brett Brown after a first-round exit against the Boston Celtics. An injury to Ben Simmons in the Orlando Bubble meant the responsibilities fell to Joel Embiid. The franchise big man couldn’t do enough to pick up Philadelphia and got swept 4-0.

The 76ers will be looking forward to the combination of Doc Rivers with their young duo. Simmons and Embiid have fantastic potential and a great ceiling. The hope will be that Rivers can help Simmons develop a jump shot, and Embiid to be a better leader.

Joel Embiid key for Rivers

The appointment of Doc Rivers has generated a lot of excitement in Philadelphia. In addition to Simmons and Embiid, they have a fantastic group of players. Al Horford, Matisse Thybulle, and Tobias Harris can all contribute greatly.

Many analysts have talked about the great potential that the 76ers have. If the right moves are made, and players start living up to their potential, they can be a serious threat. It is up to Doc Rivers to help fulfill this potential.

NBA Analyst Tim Legler believes that the key to getting Philly into the Finals is Joel Embiid. He said that Rivers must convince him to be a strong part of his project.

“If I’m Doc Rivers, I’m posing that to him(Joel Embiid). Like, ‘Listen, I’m going to do everything I can to help you schematically. We’re going to do things differently here. You’re going to like what we’re going to do.

“You have got to help me by showing up in the best shape of your life and staying there. And pushing yourself through a level of uncomfortability like you didn’t know was possible. That is the commitment I need out of you.’

“And he might say all of the right things. The question is we have to see if how he shows up and conducts himself throughout the season. He absolutely could get this team to the Finals.”

The 76ers will be looking forward to the start of the new NBA season. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons will have a lot of pressure on their shoulders, and it is Rivers’s job to get them to play well together.