Doc Rivers is doing things in the 2020-21 season, to this point, that I simply don't think Brett Brown would have been able to do. As a result, the Sixers are 15-6 and sitting pretty atop the Eastern Conference, with a legitimate MVP candidate leading the way, three potential All-Star candidates and numerous key role players filling out the roster, and the entire fan base loving (almost) every minute of it.
But it's still not enough.
“We’re not where we need to be, or where we want to be is maybe a better thing,” Rivers said (via Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire). “If this is the best we are, it’s not good enough and that’s what I tell our guys every night. We got to keep getting better. We got to keep growing.
“We got to keep adding stuff on both ends offensively and defensively. As a staff, we have to figure out even better than rotation so we have a long way to go. Which is great because we’re winning, and getting better. That’s what you want.”
There's more stuff to add, according to Rivers, which should excite Sixers fans, considering he's already done a whole bunch for the team in not so much time, in a year without a normal offseason and preseason.
He's seemingly fixed Tobias Harris, who was an increasingly infuriating player to watch as he spent more and more time in a Sixers uniform prior to this year. The contrast between current Tobi and past Tobi is stark; as opposed to shooting 32.6 percent from three in 2018-19 as a Sixer, 36.7 percent last season, and 13.3 percent in the Celtics' four-game sweep of Philly in the playoffs, he's scorching from deep, raining in treys at a 46.4 percent clip through 18 games. His buzzer beater against the Lakers represented another thing that you'd have been hard-pressed to find during Brett Brown's reign.
He's gotten the most out of Joel Embiid, which we also have to attribute to Daryl Morey's roster building and the Embiid's freakish play regardless of the coaching. Still, Rivers has whipped him into shape as he's averaging over 31 minutes per game, and he's averaging career highs in points (28.3), steals (1.2), field goal percentage (.544), three-point percentage (.404) and free throw percentage (.840). He's also averaging a career low 2.4 personal fouls and 3.1 turnovers per contest.
He's not afraid to go to the bench, resorting to the likes of Furkan Korkmaz, Shake Milton, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle and Dwight Howard early and often, even in key moments of big games. It was this willingness, in part, that allowed Rivers to finally win without Embiid. Korkmaz his some big shots down the stretch, but most importantly, Rivers pulled off a stellar, bold defensive switch against the Pacers, enabling Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle to wreak havoc in a 2-3 zone and completely change the game's momentum.
If there's more that this team can improve on, I'm all for it, because they're pretty damn good right now. But, if you really want me to come up with a list off the top of my head, here's some things I'd like to see get better over time:
— Work on Ben Simmons' offensive consistency. At this point, I don't think he'll ever shoot. From 12 feet, from 20 feet, or from three-point land, I just don't see it. But if he can just not completely disappear in certain games, attempting fewer than eight or ten shots per game, that would be nice to see. Keep his aggression up throughout the contest, and make sure his health is it needs to be.
— Bring Sixth Man of the Year-level Shake Milton back to life. He averaged 16.8 points per game in the first 12 contests, shooting .496/.353/.868. Over the past six, he has averaged 9.2 points per game with .364/.091/.933 shooting efficiency. Which is the real Shake? I really believe it's the former, but where is he?
— Work with Daryl Morey to bring in a shot creator without messing up the flow of the team. It's still a need that I don't think can be ignored. A stretch five wouldn't hurt, either.
— Reduce Dwight Howard's recklessness and mistakes.
— Work with Danny Green to run less bowleggedly (if that's a word), or not, because it's funny to watch.
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