James Harden was a 'driving force' behind Doc Rivers firing / News - Basketnews.com

James Harden has been identified as a key factor behind the firing of head coach Doc Rivers.

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Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden was a "driving force" behind head coach Doc Rivers' firing, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

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After the Sixers failed to get to the Eastern Conference Final, the wind of change came to the organization.

Rivers is known for his teams blowing series leads. The story has been reminded once again after this year's loss against the Boston Celtics. In his career, teams coached by Doc have blown 3-1 or 3-2 series leads seven times (three 3-1 leads and four 3-2 leads).

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the top candidates to replace Rivers are Mike Budenholzer, Sam Cassell, Mike D’Antoni, Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel, and Monty Williams.

Meanwhile, Harden is expected to decline his $35.6 million player option and enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, Chris Haynes from Bleacher Report reported.

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