NBA rumors: Joel Embiid was not on board with Doc Rivers firing

The Philadelphia 76ers’ decision to fire Doc Rivers didn’t go over well with the reigning MVP, Joel Embiid. 

On the heels of yet another postseason disappointment, the Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for significant changes. James Harden’s future is up in the air and several key role players are hitting the free agent market in search of more lucrative deals.

The biggest change, however, may have already happened. The Sixers fired Doc Rivers on Tuesday, opening the door for a new head coach to shape the offense (and defense) around Joel Embiid and whoever decides to join him on the roster next season.

Embiid, however, doesn’t appear to be a huge fan of the move.

Joel Embiid shocked by 76ers’ decision to fire Doc Rivers

Stephen A. Smith went on ESPN yesterday and stated that Embiid “wasn’t happy” with the decision to fire Rivers. To add fuel to the fire, Daryl Morey had the following to say during his season-ending press conference on Wednesday.

"“He was very close with coach Rivers and, yeah, he was shocked about the change. It’s my job to help convince him that the new coach is someone that he’ll have a great relationship with as well.” — Daryl Morey (via the Philadelphia Inquirer)"

Morey is in the right here: it is, in theory, the job of basketball operations to make the right move for the team regardless of external or internal pressure. If firing Doc Rivers is deemed necessary, then firing Doc Rivers is the move. Most front offices take into account the opinion of their star players, but Embiid has historically been very hands-off about these decisions. He didn’t get involved, for example, when the Sixers opted to let his good friend Jimmy Butler walk out the door in free agency. He also didn’t come to the aid of Brett Brown when the Sixers fired him as head coach either.

The Sixers have appeared in the second round of the NBA playoffs in five of the last six years. They have lost all five times (with a first-round exit thrown in for good measure). Embiid is far more responsible than Rivers for the team’s most recent postseason meltdown, but falling short of expectations for three straight years made it difficult to justify bringing Rivers back. He’s a good coach, but a deeply flawed coach with a historic track record of playoff meltdowns.

Meanwhile, the coaching market has never looked stronger. The Sixers have their share of experienced winners (Monty Williams, Mike Budenholzer, Mike D’Antoni, Nick Nurse) or in-house options (Sam Cassell, Dave Joerger, Dan Burke) to choose from. If the next coach can’t figure out how to build a genuine contender around Embiid, however, it’s time to start thinking about the MVP’s potential next home.