Doc Rivers Tells 76ers 'Every Single Day' They're Not Being Picked to Make East Final

The Philadelphia 76ers enter the 2023 NBA playoffs as underdogs in comparison to the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, who are favored to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

Head coach Doc Rivers is reminding his team of that every opportunity he gets.

"It's funny. I hear all that, yet no one's picking us. Everyone's picking the Celtics and the Bucks, and I let our guys know that every single day," Rivers told NBC Sports Philadelphia. "Our goal is to get to the Finals and win it. No one else thinks you're going to get to the Eastern finals. No one other than the people in your town."

The Sixers had just about as good of a regular season as the Celtics and Bucks, finishing third in the East with a 54-28 record and just four games back of Milwaukee for the No. 1 seed. Had it not been for a rough 1-4 start to the season, maybe Philly would have earned the No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

Additionally, the impact of potential MVP award winner Joel Embiid cannot be understated. The 29-year-old had a brilliant regular season and he's expected to have just as good of a postseason after averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks in 66 games.

While he's not the same 30-plus-point scorer he once was, James Harden also had a solid regular season, averaging 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists in 58 games. If he can carry that over into the postseason, Philly should be in a good spot.

That said, the Sixers did struggle against the Celtics, going 1-3 against them, while they went 2-2 against the Bucks. The postseason will be completely different with the stakes higher, but it's not going to be easy for Rivers' squad to take down either of those teams.

The 76ers open the playoffs with a first-round matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. Game 1 is set for Saturday at Wells Fargo Center, and Embiid and Co. will be looking to get off to a good start.