Before the start of last season, the Sixers went through a complete organizational makeover. From the front office down to the roster, a plethora of new faces were brought in.
One of the key changes came within the coaching staff. After nearly a decade at the helm, Brett Brown was relieved of his head coaching duties. The organization then went and hired Doc Rivers to become the new head coach.
Not only did Rivers make his way to Philadelphia, but he built a top-tier staff to work alongside him. With assistants like Sam Cassell, Dan Burke, and Dave Joerger, the Sixers had arguably one of the top coaching staffs in the league.
Heading into year two of the Rivers era, the team continues to put strong coaches around him. Yaron Weitzman of Fox Sports recently reported that the Sixers have hired Phil Beckner as a coaching consultant.
Beckner has served in multiple different roles throughout his coaching career. He was an assistant coach at Weber and Boise State and is now primarily a player development consultant for NBA players.
During his time as a coach, Beckner has built a strong relationship with one current NBA All-Star, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard. To this day, Beckner is still one of Lillard's trainers.
Things might have cooled down on the Lillard front, but things can change in the blink of an eye. Once he returns from the Olympics, news regarding his situation in Portland could pick up again.
If Lillard inevitably decides he wants to be traded, Daryl Morey is going to be at the front of the line looking to acquire him. This recent hiring might be another step in attempting to lure the superstar point guard to Philadelphia.
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