Sixers Notes: Coaching Search, Rivers, Niang, Offseason

During his end-of-season media session on Wednesday, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told reporters taht it may take the team some time to pick its next head coach, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com.

“We’re taking a careful process with the coach, we do not think it will move quickly,” Morey said. “We’re going to look at all the candidates, we’re already very encouraged by the candidates that reached out. We have an MVP player, we have a great roster that lots of players want to play with, lots of coaches want to be with.”

According to Morey, the Sixers are seeking a candidate who prioritizes accountability and who can build great relationships with star players and recruit stars (Twitter link via Gina Mizell of Philadelphia Inquirer). While the team also wants to hire a tactically sound coach, Morey suggested that won’t be his primary goal.

“I actually think people put too much importance on that, like it ends up being a much smaller part of the game than people expect,” Morey said. “Relative to you know, working with star players, recruiting star players, things like that. It is an important element, but it tends to get overvalued…it can only be one part of the puzzle.”

Interestingly, as Neubeck writes, Morey said the Sixers’ star players won’t have “direct input” on the hire. Morey also acknowledged that MVP center Joel Embiid was “shocked” by the club’s decision to move on from Doc Rivers, per David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

“It’s my job to help convince him that the new head coach is someone he’ll have a great relationship as well,” Morey said.

  • In a separate story for PhillyVoice.com, Neubeck takes a closer look at the six head coaching candidates who have been linked to the 76ers so far, breaking down the pros and cons of each one.
  • Doc Rivers posted a parting message to Sixers fans on Instagram, writing that he “really enjoyed” his time in Philadelphia and respected how “tough” and passionate the fans were. League sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that Rivers has a desire to continue coaching if the right opportunity arises.
  • Sixers forward Georges Niang, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, admits he doesn’t know what his future holds, but he sounds like a player who would happily re-sign in Philadelphia, writes Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “Obviously, I love it here in Philly,” Niang said after the team’s season came to an end. “Like I said, I haven’t really wrapped my head around everything, but I really enjoyed being here and the guys, the camaraderie, the organization, it’s been amazing.”
  • Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype and Bobby Marks of ESPN.com (Insider link) previewed the Sixers’ offseason, observing that the team faces several big decisions beyond hiring a new coach and resolving Harden’s future. Tyrese Maxey and De’Anthony Melton are among the players eligible for contract extensions, while Philadelphia needs to find a way to improve its bench depth.
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