As the Philadelphia 76ers were preparing to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday to wrap up a 3-game road trip, they received some tough news when they found out that coach Doc Rivers would enter the health and safety protocols and he will be out for the game.
That means that assistant, and defensive coordinator, Dan Burke will act as the team’s head coach until Rivers could return. As the team continued its prep for the Nets, Burke wants to keep things as close to Rivers-like as possible.
“He and I both got tested, just out of precaution, when I got the word, I said ‘Well the next one will be negative’,” said Burke on Thursday before the Nets contest. “After that, it was just we got on the phone with Doc on speakerphone and it’s gonna be business as usual as much as possible. Follow his lead, he’s building something here, we gotta come in and do our job and follow up on that.”
Burke will be a little lonely on the bench as they will be missing assistant coaches Sam Cassell and Brian Adams on the bench as well while Dave Joerger remains out due to his battle with cancer. Cassell entered the protocols on Dec. 23 while Adams joined Rivers in the protocols on Thursday morning. He will have three coaches on his staff on Thursday.
“Brian Adams tested positive before we came over here,” said Burke. “He’s been behind the bench helping me a lot defensively, but it’s gonna be Jamie Young, Dwayne Jones, and Eric Hughes.”
Burke has coached an NBA game twice in his career before Thursday. He did so while he was a member of the Indiana Pacers and serving on Nate McMillan’s staff.
“Twice for Nate McMillan in Indiana a few years ago,” said Burke. “If you’re gonna ask the record, 0-2. Warriors and at Charlotte.”
With that being said, Burke does want to keep things running as close to how Rivers would like to run it as much as possible as Rivers kept his instructions to Burke clear and brief.
“Just a general term of what was good last time against Brooklyn offensively, what we need to do better, nothing real specific,” Burke finished. “Just trying to give these guys some freedom. With a guy like me running it, they might have a little more freedom, but just what we stress on the offensive end. Defensively, it’s been pretty much in our hands, that’s the side I’ve been concentrating on, and we’re gonna try to do much the same.
As close to 76ers basketball as we can be. Doc Rivers basketball. That’s what our goal is.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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