Former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers revealed what it was like coaching James Harden and in one word, labeled it as a challenge.
Speaking on the Bill Simmons podcast, “It was challenging,” Rivers said. “More because we were fighting two things, and not like visually fighting. James was so good at playing one way, and the way I believe you have to play to win, in some ways is different because it’s a lot of giving up the ball, moving the ball, and coming back to the ball.”
He further added that coaching a younger version of Harden would have been easier for both parties.
“At times, to get him to move and play the way I needed him to play [was challenging], I thought the first half of the year we were the best team in the game. I thought James was playing perfect basketball, he was a point guard on the team, and he was still scoring, but he was doing more playmaking and scoring. And then the second half he started scoring more, and I thought we got more stagnant at times.”
Earlier, it was reported that Harden had a hand in Rivers’ ouster as Philly’s coach. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports:
“Sixers president Daryl Morey shouldered responsibility for the decision to remove Rivers during a news conference Wednesday. Several members of Rivers’ staff, sources said, have pointed to All-Star point guard James Harden — whom league personnel is expecting to decline his player option in search of a long-term contract — as a driving force behind Rivers’ departure.”
It appears that the Sixers made a call to keep Harden’s future with the team in mind, but it came at a cost for Rivers. That said, the latter clearly outlined the challenges of a ball-dominant player like Harden — something that Nick Nurse will now make note of.
Joel Embiid Was Unhappy With Doc Rivers’ Firing
Joel Embiid had a completely shocking reaction to Rivers’ firing. Daryl Morey revealed that the MVP was shocked by this decision, as he was pretty close to Rivers.
With the former Raptors coach now their head coach, the Sixers stars will have to adapt quickly to see if they can maximize their chances of winning a title this year, and not falter in the postseason.
Now, the onus is on Embiid and Harden to see if they can stake a claim on the championship. Only time will tell if their chemistry with Nurse translates to success.
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