Expect Rivers to process his own personnel plan
The Sixers thought they had it all solved around this time last year. They believed in their own brilliance and abilities and wanted it shouted, publicized and celebrated. They were ready.
“Write it in thick crayon,” Brett Brown said. “We’ll play smashmouth offense and bully ball defense. We have the team that can do that.”
They had a center, one of the best in the world. They had a point guard, an AllStar. They had a new forward with a lifelong knack for winning, Al Horford. They had Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson and a chance. But they did not have a reliable, possession-to-possession three-point threat.
As it is often said around the scouting and coaching profession, “Shooting won the war.” But the Sixers lost too many battles, Brown lost his job, Elton Brand shed a thick layer of job security and Doc Rivers was hired to set it all straight.
Rivers is 59, has worked for three other franchises, has won an NBA championship as a head coach and, within six minutes of being formally introduced as Brown’s replacement, made it clear that he would have a say in all Sixers personnel matters. And as much as Brand tried to make it sound like he would only choose a coach who was com
mitted to maximizing the players already on the payroll, no NBA team hires an alpha coach like Rivers to simply accept what the general manager provides.
“In my years of experience,” Rivers said, “I have found there is no such thing as a complete team.”
In most areas, the Sixers are solid. But in an era when it is impossible to win without deadly threepoint accuracy, they have failed to thrive with Ben Simmons, who is delusional enough to believe he is above that trend. So, as a mental exercise, imagine what a decorated coach of an NBA team without one reliable three-point shooter might demand in his next intra-office Zoom meeting?
It’s not another bullyball forward.
While Rivers was savvy enough to point out that the Sixers were ninth in the NBA in three-point percentage last year, he has to know that is a numbers trick, a reflection of defenses willing to allow ordinary shooters to rattle-in the occasional, often-uncontested triple while they were attempting to batter Joel Embiid inside. Not one Sixer was in the top 41 in made three-pointers last season. And No. 42 was Furkan Korkmaz, who was exposed in the playoffs as being of less than majorleague quality in too many other areas. Among regular starters, Harris was next, checking in at No.
55 in made three-pointers. The Celtics, who evicted the Sixers from the tournament in four, had three starters with more made three-pointers.
Rivers will quote Red Auerbach, a believer in building a system around what the players can do. Solid as that theory sounds, it was largely constructed before there was a 50-percent bonus attached to a particular skill. So write this, too, in thick crayon: Doc Rivers will not follow the Brett Brown plan of trying to lengthen his career by tolerating frontoffice incompetence. He will use every one of his instincts and contacts to correct two problems that at some point are connected. He will acquire a three-point specialist who can do other things, too. And eventually, he will find an accomplished NBA point guard willing to shoot.
Buddy Hield is a shooter the Sixers need, is miserable in Sacramento, and should be available in a creative multi-team transaction. Rivers did hire Dave Joerger, the former Kings coach, as an assistant. Though they were reported to have had a scratchy relationship at the end, Hield did shoot .480, .446 and .458 from distance in three years under Joerger.
JJ Redick might be available from the Pelicans. If so, Embiid, whose comfort level with the Sixers fan favorite was legendary, would probably spring for his charter flight. To make either a Hield or Redick trade
work, money-wise, the Sixers likely have to part with Harris or Horford. Since few teams would want Horford, Harris would have to go. For the Sixers, that would be unfortunate, since he did have his best career success under Rivers with the Clippers. But Hield would be worth the price.
Free agency could help. D.J. Augustin has flattened in Orlando and not only would give Rivers an additional three-point threat but a reliable point guard. Better all-around than Shake Milton, Augustin also has 38 games of playoff experience. And what would any discussion of possible threepoint solutions be without the obligatory Kyle Korver mention? Korver might be set free by Milwaukee and, even at age 38, did shoot better than 41 percent from distance last season.
The draft will be Nov. 18. Could Villanova
sniper Saddiq Bey drop to the Sixers at No. 23? And Brand should take a shooter with each of his three second-round picks, then hope to get lucky with one.
The Sixers must be that desperate.
Knowing how the poker is played, Rivers has said he believes he can win with the players Brand has assembled. He can’t. No one can. Figure him to give it an honest try with Simmons, at least until the trade deadline. He’s got the status and coaching skills to make it work. If not, then the real restructuring can begin.
Before that, though, Brand and Rivers, in one order or the other, must improve the shooting. Because the Sixers will never be ready until they do.