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Why Lakers fans should be rooting hard for the 76ers in the playoffs

By Jason Reed

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers leaves the court after the 76er's 132-97 win in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on April 28, 2022 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers leaves the court after the 76er's 132-97 win in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on April 28, 2022 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers did not make the NBA Playoffs this year but that does not mean that Lakers fans don’t have a rooting interest. In fact, there is one team that Lakers fans should be rooting for very hard as the first round of the playoffs wraps up: the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 76ers avoided letting the Toronto Raptors creep back into the series after being up 3-0 with a huge win on the road in Game 6 on Thursday. Philadelphia will move on and take on a battered Miami Heat team that the 76ers have beat in terms of star power.

While no fan is obviously going to root for the 76ers as hard as they would their hometown team, there are two pretty good reasons for the Lakers fans to root for Philly as the playoffs trek on.

Why Lakers fans should be huge 76ers fans during the NBA Playoffs:

The first reason is quite petty, but it is a real reason. Philly might have the best shot of defeating the Boston Celtics and keeping them from making the NBA Finals. Milwaukee is without Khris Middleton and with how Boston played in round one, the Bucks have an uphill battle.

Of course, the 76ers have to get past the Heat first but they are in line for a toe-to-toe showdown with Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals that very well could decide who wins the NBA Finals.

The worst way to cap off a horribly disappointing Lakers season is by seeing the Celtics lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy, that is quite obvious.

The more compelling reason to root for the 76ers during the playoffs has to do with their head coach. Doc Rivers has been connected to the Lakers’ head coaching vacancy and it is safe to say that most fans do not want to see him come back to LA.

Rivers has a known history for blowing playoff series (heck, the 76ers just let the Raptors take the first round to six games after being up 3-0) and his coaching style certainly is not great. Sure, he is someone who treats stars like stars and LeBron James will love that, but as a coach, there are many guys better than Rivers in the game today.

There is a world in which the 76ers lay a stinker in the second round and fire Rivers, paving the way for him to return back to Los Angeles. That is the last thing that fans should want as the team needs to do the groundwork to hire a good head coach, not just hire the biggest name.

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However, the farther that the 76ers go the less likely it is that Rivers will be fired. Sure, that might raise Rivers’ stock as a head coach, but if the 76ers were to win the NBA Championship they would be doing it despite Rivers, not because of him.

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