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Austin Rivers, Doc Rivers’ son, has been playing in the NBA for over a decade already. The former Duke Blue Devil was picked by the New Orleans Hornets as the 10th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He chose to wear #25 as a tribute to his father, who was a one-time All-Star in his heyday.
The younger Rivers hasn’t lived up to the expectations that are usually heaped on lottery picks. He has bounced around seven teams in 11 seasons. “Sub-Zero’s” best years came with the LA Clippers from 2014-15 to 2017-18.
During his four-year stint with the Clippers, Rivers averaged 10.5 PPG, 2.5 APG and 2.1 RPG. He shot 42.9% from the field, including 35.7% from behind the arc. The Clippers made the playoffs in three of his four seasons with the team.
Doc Rivers’ son has participated in the playoffs over the last three seasons. He was part of Nikola Jokic’s supporting cast with the Denver Nuggets from 2020-21 to 2021-22. The shooting guard averaged 7.5 PPG, 1.8 APG and 1.3 RPG. He shot 43.7%, including 39.7% from behind the arc in 15 postseason games with Denver.
Austin Rivers is also playing in the playoffs this season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is helping his team try to eliminate his former teammates in Denver.
The Timberwolves are facing a 0-2 deficit and Rivers has played in just one of those games. He played just 16 minutes in a blowout loss in Game 1 and finished with three points. Rivers played 52 games in the regular season for Minnesota, but it remains to be seen if he can crack the rotation in the playoffs against the Nuggets.
Doc Rivers and the Philadelphia 76ers are on the brink of a sweep against the Brooklyn Nets
Doc Rivers’ Philadelphia 76ers were seen as the 2023 NBA’s biggest favorites in any first-round series. Philly has Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris and others against the Brooklyn Nets. These aren’t the same Nets that were legitimate title contenders when Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were still in uniform.
Without two of the most skilled players in NBA history, the Nets were the big underdogs against the 76ers.
Doc Rivers has preached since before the start of the series that the Brooklyn Nets can’t be overlooked. Brooklyn still has Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Dorian Finney-Smith. None of them, though, have proven to be franchise players in the mold of Harden and Embiid.
The Nets were down 0-2 but had a very good chance of winning Game 3. Joel Embiid, however, came up with a crucial block on Spencer Dinwiddie to help neutralize the Nets.
Doc Rivers has reached the semifinal round of the playoffs in each of his last three seasons, including the last two with the Philadelphia 76ers. Barring a monumental upset, he should be back in the second round again.
Philly is hoping to at least reach the Eastern Conference finals after losing to the Atlanta Hawks last season in the semifinals.
