Philadelphia 76ers: 3 goals for Ben Simmons going into next season

Build and improve relationships with Doc Rivers and with Embiid

For the first time since 2013, the Philadelphia 76ers will be heading into a season with a new head coach. For a few players on the roster, this will be just their second NBA head coach.

After firing Brett Brown immediately after being eliminated from the playoffs, Elton Brand led an extensive coaching search before hiring Doc Rivers to be the next head coach of the 76ers last week.

Unlike his predecessor, a first-time head coach when he was hired, Rivers has been a head coach in the NBA for the last 21 consecutive years, and his 943 career wins are good for second-most among active coaches and eleventh all time.

Rivers knows what it takes to be an NBA champion. As a head coach, he led the Boston Celtics to two finals appearances in three years, winning a championship over the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.

With Rivers at the helm, the Sixers now have someone in place to hold the players accountable. He is also a good teacher with a history of getting the best out of his players.

With such a young core and after failing to live up to expectations, the 76ers needed to hire a coach who could teach the game the right way and help his players develop. It was equally important for the Sixers to hire someone who can relate to the players.

Rivers is a great human being, and as a former player and black man, with a predominantly black roster, the expectation will be easy for the Sixers to trust and relate to their new coach as well as buy into his coaching style and philosophies.

With Simmons and Embiid as the unquestioned leaders of this team, it is necessary for them to start building a relationship with their new coach. Rivers played point guard in the NBA for 13 seasons, so he knows a thing or two about playing the position which he can teach to Simmons.

For the first time in his young career, Ben Simmons will be held accountable for his actions. Though his primary focus should be getting healthy and improving his game, it is of vital importance for himself and the team that he starts to build a healthy relationship with Rivers as soon as possible.

Simmons also needs to improve his relationship with Embiid. Relationships of any kind are a two-way street, and it will also take more effort from Embiid to make this work for the longterm. The duo needs to spend more time off the court and get to know each other outside of basketball.

Any athlete, regardless of their respective sport, will tell you that spending time together outside of “work,” helps build trust and camaraderie, which translates directly to the lockerroom and games.

If Ben Simmons is going to elevate his game and lead the Philadelphia 76ers to new heights, It’s time for him to forget to put fashion shows and the Kardashians on the backburner and focus on his health, improving his game, and work on his relationships with those within the franchise.