Some Sixers players ‘not feeling’ Doc Rivers?

The Ringer’s Wosny Lambre dropped a little inside knowledge on the most recent Ringer NBA Show podcast this week, where he warned of juuuuust a little unrest in Sixers land with respect to Rivers. (Lambre also warned “aggregators” to “relax” before he dropped this intel. I will, of course, never relax.) Here’s what Lambre had to say: “A few weeks ago – because I’m decently tapped-in with the players side of what’s happening with the Sixers, though I don’t know anybody in the Morey administration – I’m hearing like, ‘Man, guys are not feeling Doc. His rotations, his philosophy, what he’s doing. Guys aren’t feeling it.’ To me sometimes you can chalk it up to be like, ‘I should be playing more.’ That’s every NBA player. So I’m like, I’m ignoring this. I’m ignoring this.
Source: Adam Hermann @ NBC Sports

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Derek Bodner @DerekBodnerNBA
There is no greater disparity in life than the difference between how Sixers twitter views Paul Reed and how Doc Rivers does. – 3:04 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Doc Rivers discussed the team’s bench struggles in a loss to the Pistons and by the way, he wasn’t blaming James Harden #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/2022/03/31/doc… via @SixersWire – 12:36 PM

Wes Goldberg @wcgoldberg
🆕 Locked On NBA w/ @Adam Mares
– Giannis comes up clutch vs Durant
– Doc Rivers calls out James Harden
– DeRozan drops 50
📺 https://t.co/ZbtIs0Sqo4
🍎 https://t.co/bVsI8fNVdm
✳️ https://t.co/qfiRi0YNxD pic.twitter.com/FFkJyoPkUT – 12:20 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Doc Rivers gives a little insight on what Paul Reed must do in order to play more #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/2022/04/01/doc… via @SixersWire – 9:01 AM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Doc Rivers on if bench cost 76ers win: “It was more James than them.” nba.nbcsports.com/2022/03/31/doc… – 11:19 PM

Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
The Sixers’ bench was outscored 39-8 on Thursday night, which Doc Rivers doesn’t think showed that they struggled. More importantly, he thought it said more about James Harden, in a quote that will soon be analyzed to death: phillyvoice.com/doc-rivers-six… – 11:05 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
As somebody who was in the room when Doc Rivers made his quote, I explain the quote about the bench struggles in the loss. FYI, he wasn’t blaming Harden. #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/2022/03/31/doc… via @SixersWire – 10:53 PM

Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
Doc Rivers: “I thought offensively, we really just stood around”
Attributed lack of bench scoring more to Harden and how he played/the offense ran during bench minutes. Some full quotes pic.twitter.com/VdIBrg4f9M – 9:55 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
I asked Doc Rivers about the bench struggles and he said it was more because they didn’t get many shots. He said James Harden was taking shots so they didn’t get an opportunity. #Sixers – 9:51 PM

Rich Hoffman @rich_hofmann
Watching the press conference on TV, Doc Rivers was asked about the bench: “They didn’t struggle, they didn’t get a lot of shots in their defense. I think during that stretch it was more James than them. Yeah, it’s just a tough night.” – 9:49 PM

Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
Doc Rivers on the bench: “They didn’t struggle, they didn’t get a lot of shots.” – 9:46 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Doc Rivers says it felt like the NCAA Tournament where they were the No. 1 seed and their opponent was a much looser team #Sixers – 9:45 PM

Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
Uh oh. The Pistons are on a 14-2 run over the last 3:07 and lead 93-87 with 4:22 left. Doc Rivers called a timeout. #AnotherBlownLeadFlow – 9:10 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Isaiah Livers and Saddiq Bey knock down back-to-back triples and all of a sudden, the Pistons have a 93-87 lead with 4:22 left. Timeout Doc Rivers. #Sixers – 9:09 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Matisse Thybulle misses a fast break layup which leads to a Cory Joseph triple for the Pistons. Timeout Doc Rivers. #Sixers – 7:24 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
The Pistons have been struggling all season, but they have been led by a real ROY candidate in Cade Cunningham. Doc Rivers has been impressed with his improvement. #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/2022/03/31/six… via @SixersWire – 1:53 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
A report came out that the Sixers declined to say if their entire team was fully vaccinated which would cause issues for a playoff series with the Toronto Raptors. Doc Rivers discussed that at shootaround this morning. #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/2022/03/31/doc… via @SixersWire – 11:56 AM

Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Doc Rivers said the Sixers do not plan to rest anybody tonight vs. Detroit, but alluded it could happen on one of their final two back-to-backs (Saturday vs. Charlotte/Sunday vs. Cleveland and April 9 and 10 at home vs. Indiana and Detroit). – 11:32 AM

More on this storyline

 

“The Sixers are in L.A. last week, I’m out and about getting dinner […] and I run into somebody who’s close to the team. […] I’m like, ‘Sorry but I can’t pick you guys to go to the Finals this year.’ His response kind of raised my eyebrows: ‘Neither would I.’ Oh, okay. Maybe that’s hyperbole, maybe you’re having a bad week, I’m not even thinking about it. But this is a running tally of what’s going on down in Philadelphia.” -via NBC Sports / April 2, 2022

Joel Embiid: It was a tough situation to navigate and go through (with Simmons). Even to this day, I don’t have any hard feelings towards everything that happened. But being in my position, having to answer questions about that whole thing every single day, it was kind of draining. And I’m sure it was draining for my teammates. So the drama was pretty crazy, but my whole thing going into the season was to come in and try to be a better leader. In the past, I was trying to lead on the court, by my play, and I was never really focused on off the court and what I could bring to the table. -via The Athletic / March 29, 2022

Joel Embiid on why Ben Simmons left “I just didn’t understand what was going on, honestly. I didn’t understand what happened and what led up to that whole situation. To this day, I don’t understand. Even when you look at it and I don’t have any problems with him and like I say, obviously we didn’t win the championship together, but in the regular season, we went dominant every single season. 50-win seasons, I always believed that we had a chance to win together. Like I always believed that even to this day. I believe that we had a chance to win and what we were able to accomplish obviously, winning matters the most, but I feel like we had a chance and that’s what I don’t get. I don’t understand what was going on, honestly. What caused him to want to leave. I understand his explanation, but a lot of things don’t make sense.” -via Sixers Wire / March 17, 2022