Doc Rivers and Quin Snyder linked as candidates for the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers
In a report from Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to part ways with head coach Frank Vogel at the end of this season. Both Doc Rivers and Quin Snyder were mentioned as the top two candidates to land the head coaching vacancy.
Of course, this type of news was exciting for the city of Philadelphia, who rightfully complain about Doc Rivers as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. On top of that, there were rumors last week that even Sixers’ players were upset with Rivers coaching strategies.
Doc Rivers Tenure in Philadelphia
This article notes that Rivers is listed as one of the top candidates for this position by “league personnel”, meaning a few anonymous sources around the association are expecting him to be fired by Philadelphia after this season.
Honestly, this is great news and could mean the end to this tumultuous era of Sixers basketball. If these rumors hold any weight, Doc Rivers leaving Philadelphia and heading back to the West Coast to join the Lakers with the NBA’s oldest roster would be a perfect retirement tour.
The idea of a new coach is riveting for most Philadelphia fans. The relationship between Rivers and the fanbase has been scorned over the course of just two seasons here and the only way around it is a championship. While he has led this team to two of their better seasons record-wise since the early 2000’s, his failures have shined so brightly that they are impossible to look past.
Between all of the normal frustrations surrounding Doc Rivers, the blown leads, his refusal to play any of his young players, and the fact that he has a track record of being incapable of winning at the highest level, it’s looking more and more like the Rivers-era should and will come to end following this season in Philadelphia.
Quin Snyder’s Case
With Utah seemingly falling apart and a potential blow up looming in their future, it makes sense for Snyder to be available after this season. He has been rumored as San Antonio’s heir to Gregg Popovich’s throne, and now he gets linked to the Lakers as their next head coach. Also, Doc Rivers doesn’t seem to be as desired around the league, mostly because he isn’t nearly as good of a coach as Snyder.
During his tenure in Utah he has lead the Jazz to a 639-322 record during the regular season, but just a 19-26 record in the postseason. For those who don’t remember, Snyder was an assistant coach here in Philadelphia during the 2011-12 season. His time here was brief, but it will be interesting to see if those connections play any role if there is an open position here come the offseason.
Rivers-Ainge Connection in Utah
Doc Rivers has been linked to the Jazz as well. His former boss, Danny Ainge, is now the Alternate Governor and CEO in Utah and they have a fantastic working relationship stemming from their decade of time spent together in Boston.
This could also bring on the possibility of the Sixers pursuing Quin Snyder, which may be the best upgrade possible at the time. It’s also important to note that Daryl Morey was not the one that hired Doc Rivers, so the loyalty of his contract might not stand as strong as it seems.
For now, this is all speculation and is subject to change based on the outcome of the postseason. There is reason to believe that the league will endure another wild offseason, and with potential movement like a couple of Hall of Fame caliber coaches it could mean a major shake up for the 76ers next season.
