Former Kings and Grizzlies Head Coach Dave Joerger has agreed to join Doc Rivers‘ coaching staff in Philadelphia. Joerger will be serving as an assistant coach this upcoming season per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Spending his first three years with the Memphis Grizzlies, Joeger won an impressive 147 games in three seasons. Continuing on Lionel Hollins’ “Grit n’ Grind Grizzlies“, Joeger has proven to be one of the most impressive defensive minds in the league today.
After parting ways with the Grizzlies in 2016, Joeger joined the Sacramento Kings. He did have his work cut out for him trying to turn around the dysfunctional franchise. Sadly it was not a success and Joeger soon found himself a free agent once again after three seasons.
Joerger helped a young backcourt of De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield thrive and made the Kings look almost impressive. He led Sacramento to their best record in years, but the Kings’ decided it was best to cut him loose regardless.
Many will remember that before hiring Doc Rivers, some fans clamored for the Sixers to hire Joerger as Head Coach. This is essentially the best of both worlds as the team has their experienced leader in Doc, while they’re still able to take advantage of Joergers’ defensive mind.
Of the available pool of assistant coaches, Joerger was near the top, if not the top candidate. He was even interviewed to become the new Head Coach for the Indiana Pacers.
It’s an encouraging first addition to Doc Rivers’ coaching staff. Hopefully, the Sixers can continue to hire notable names like Joerger. If so, Rivers could command one of the most impressive coaching staffs in the entire NBA.
While the offseason is still young, the Sixers have made multiple moves that have been praised by many. It will be exciting to see what’s next; whether that be free agency, draft, Daryl Morey, Buddy Hield. Furthermore, the most important thing to notice is that the future is beginning to look bright again in Philadelphia.
Mandatory Credit – Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire
