While the Philadelphia 76ers have made their way to the NBA Playoffs during their last three seasons, the Sixers’ playoff resume is plagued by early bow outs, failing to progress past the semifinals in any of their last three appearances.
While making the playoffs is great and would be a metric of success on the basketball court for many, winning a championship is really what the fans want. To do that, the Sixers need continued improvement, not staggered consistency.
Early on in this offseason, change came to the Sixers organization. They fired Head Coach Brett Brown after seven seasons and brought in former NBA Coach of the Year Doc Rivers from the Los Angeles Clippers.
On top of that, the ownership group brought in Daryl Morey, former general manager of the Houston Rockets, who will step into the role of president of basketball operations for the Sixers.
All of these new additions were made with the intention of improving on that poor postseason record and to help the team take the next step to contend for an NBA Championship.
These coaching and front office changes are exciting for fans to see, but they don’t address the current issue within the Sixers organization. The talent the Sixers have on the court is evident with stars such as Center Joel Embiid and Foward Ben Simmons. However, their skills do not complement each other.
A big man such as Embiid, who specializes in scoring below the rim and finding space in the paint, matched up with someone like Simmons, who often struggles to shoot from deep and wants to drive to the hoop, compacts the whole offense and cramps everyone inside the three-point line.
The Sixers need to create space to find more success against strong opponents. And to do that, they need to prove a serious threat from the three-point line. If everyone is cramped within the key and looking to attack the rim, it’s easy for teams to guard against and gameplan for the Sixers as they reach the playoffs and only play superstar teams.
As the new president of basketball operations, it will be Morey’s job to find and bring in players who can complement their star players. Being a former member of the Houston Rockets organization, reports have suggested one player Morey is interested in is former NBA MVP James Harden, a renowned three-point shooter.
While a move like this might be a little much to ask for, as a Sixers fan, this signifies that the Sixers are taking a step in the right direction in pursuit of a championship.
As the NBA continues to progress through their offseason, we’ll see more changes and new personnel within the Sixers organization. While fans may be disappointed to see certain faces leave the organization, the Sixers have to do what’s necessary to take the next step to becoming a championship caliber team.
