"It was more James than them" - Doc Rivers' half-cooked statement on James Harden sparks controversy, making it look like a blame game against Philly star
Doc Rivers sparked controversy following his latest remarks on James Harden. The Philadelphia 76ers recorded a disappointing 94-102 loss against the rebuilding Detroit Pistons, extending their losing streak to three games. Harden went a mere four of 15 from the field to score only 18 points on the night.
The Sixers' bench underperformed, too, as they were outscored 8-39 by the Pistons' second unit. Speaking about his team's bench unit not being as efficient, Rivers refused to criticize them, saying Harden was the primary shot taker when the second unit was in action.
"They (bench) didn't struggle. You know they didn't get a lot of shots, in their defense. I think during that stretch it was more James than them, you know. So yeah, it's just a tough night," said Rivers (via NBC Sports Philadelphia).
Doc isn't blaming the bench for the Sixers' loss tonight.
"It was more James than them." 😳 https://t.co/3ANUm7sfr7
Rivers' remarks on Harden can be interpreted similarly to what he said about Ben Simmons following 2021 playoffs exit
Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers had a fallout following the team's exit from the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Simmons had a poor run during the postseason as he failed to step up to the role of a secondary option on offense behind Joel Embiid. The Australian guard averaged just 11.9 points per game, shooting a meager 34.2% from the free throw line.
He lacked confidence on the offensive end of the floor. This was most evident when he passed up an open layup opportunity late during the Sixers' Game 7 matchup in the second round against the Atlanta Hawks. Had Simmons taken it on and scored, it could've helped Philadelphia win the tie.
The current Brooklyn Nets star took only four shots in that game. After the loss, Doc Rivers was asked if Simmons could still be the starting point guard on a championship-contending team. The 76ers coach refused to answer that question, which marked the beginning of the feud between the organization and the player.
Many felt that Rivers' comments about James Harden following the loss to the Pistons were a flashback to the remarks the 2007 championship-winning coach made about Simmons.
Reporters clarify Doc Rivers wasn't throwing James Harden under the bus
Several in-house reporters who were present for Doc Rivers' post-game media availability session have denied the notion that he was taking a shot at Harden like he did at Simmons.
According to NBA reporters Vincent Goodwill and Gina Mizell, the veteran coach "didn't finish his thought" while talking about the bench's performance. The belief around the room was that Rivers was only hinting at James Harden being the primary shot-taker when the second unit was on the floor alongside him.
"He wasn’t throwing Harden under the bus. He just didn’t finish his thought when he was answering the question about bench production," tweeted Goodwill.
Mizell added to that by reporting:
"As somebody who was in the room, this isn't how I (or anybody else who was there) took this at all. We took it as Doc didn't finish/articulate his thought, that he was saying Harden was primary shot-taker when the bench players were on the floor. Bench was 0-for-5 in first half."
James Harden has had his struggles this year. On top of that, his move to the Philadelphia 76ers has only increased the pressure on him to win his first title as he left the Brooklyn Nets to join forces with Joel Embiid.
It's going to be a long road ahead for the team and based on their recent form, concerns are rising over their ability to achieve postseason success. However, the organization, players and Doc Rivers seem more confident following the arrival of Harden. It will be interesting to see how they perform during this year's playoffs.