Calling Doc Rivers a top 15 coach of all time has largely been done as a joke recently with his team’s underperformance in the playoffs year after year. The disrespect has reached a new and undeserving low with Doc currently being given odds of +2800 (19th out of 30 coaches) to win Coach of the Year for the upcoming 2022-2023 season.
Doc Rivers has been a head coach in the NBA for the last 22 years with the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, and Philadelphia Sixers. Despite coaching some great teams, he has only won the Coach of the Year once which came in his first season ever as a head coach when he was with the Orlando Magic during the 1999-2000 season.
One might think that since it has been 20 years since he last won that Doc’s chances would be diminished, but of the seven coaches to win 2 COTY awards four have come with wins a decade or more apart. Doc has also received votes for the award in 8 of the last 10 seasons.
Last season did not garner any votes for Doc. He did however manage to have his team ready every night whilst dealing with a myriad of challenges from having to battle through the COVID situation that impacted most players to the circus that occurred when a certain player decided he did not want to play for a contender. All of this and the Sixers last year finished 2nd in the East and look to have an improved lineup.
River’s coached teams have finished 1st or 2nd in their division every year but one over the last 15 years(2012-2013 finished 3rd with Boston). The coach of the year generally comes from a winning team and Doc wins in the regular season.
Doc may not win the COTY but his odds are too low and should continue to improve as the season goes on.
Photo: AP/Marca
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