By Kevin McCormick, Sports Talk Philly Editor
Doc Rivers wasted little time starting to build a top-level staff in Philadelphia. First he went and got Dave Joerger to be his lead assistant, and now has gone and added two more experienced coaches to join him. Reports have come out that the Sixers have hired Dan Burke and Sam Cassell to join Rivers' coaching staff.
Burke has been a longtime assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers. He has been part of the Pacers' staff for the past 19 seasons. One thing Burke has been known for is his work on the defensive side of the ball. Between Joerger and Burke, the Sixers should have a more impactful defense than they had last season.
The Sixers are hiring longtime Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke, league sources tell ESPN. Burke joins former Grizzlies and Kings coach Dave Joerger on Doc Rivers’ coaching staff, and is widely regarded for his defensive acumen.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) October 28, 2020
After it was announced that Ty Lue would be bringing in Chauncey Billups to join his staff in Los Angeles, Sam Cassell became a name speculated to come to Philadelphia. Cassell was a member of Doc Rivers' staff with the Clippers for six seasons.
Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Sam Cassell will be added to Doc Rivers’ staff with the #Sixers, according to sources. That was the expectation if he didn’t get a head-coaching gig. pic.twitter.com/aDnLCtozB0
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) October 28, 2020
Along with bringing years of coaching experience, Cassell is also a former player. He spent 14 years in the league, playing for multiple franchises. The Sixers now have two former NBA guards on their coaching staff with Rivers and Cassell, this should do wonders for the growth of Shake Milton going forward.
The Sixers continue to make the necessary moves to improve the team. Doing a complete makeover of the coaching staff was much needed if this team was going to see improvement. Now with a completely new set of fresh faces and minds, it will be interesting to see what kind of changes they make and what kind of impact they have with this roster.