The Philadelphia 76ers Need To Retool
Another year, another disappointing playoff exit for the Philadelphia 76ers. Perhaps now is the time they finally look in the mirror.
For the fourth time in five seasons, the 76ers end their season with a bitter taste in their mouths. No amount of cheesesteak can hide how ugly their game six loss was at home. And now, it’s time for another offseason with questions galore. So, what’s next for the Philadelphia 76ers?
Do they need a new coach? Will James Harden be there long-term? What about Tobias Harris’ bloated deal? Brace yourselves, Philly – this won’t be pretty.
What’s Up, Doc?
Going from Brett Brown to Doc Rivers seemed like an upgrade. Even now, the 76ers would obviously much rather have Doc than the disgraced coach of the process. With that being said, it’s hard to see Rivers returning as head coach in 2023.
It’s not his fault that the 76ers have a lot of flaws they have to fix. But, he’s the least clutch coach of this generation. Nobody has blown more series leads than him. Hell, on his first year on the job, he ran Ben Simmons out of town.
“I don’t worry about my job. I think I do a terrific job.” Yet again, after an ugly postseason loss, Doc Rivers ruffled feathers. Again, I don’t think Rivers is the main problem in Philly. With that being said, I don’t think he makes them that much better.
Philly had all the momentum after tying the series 2-2. Then game five happened – a 35-point blowout loss. Philly came out extremely flat, which can be blamed on the coaching staff. And whatever that second half in game six was? Yeah, that’s bad coaching, too.
There are good coaching options on the market. I will continue to plug Kenny Atkinson until the day I die. Mark Jackson would be a sexy pick. Dave Joerger, currently an assistant in Philly, wouldn’t be a bad hire. Interesting to see what Daryl Morey decides to do with the coaching position this summer.
(Note: Morey says that Doc Rivers is returning next season. Forget everything I just said)
Was I Right? Or Was I Right?
If you don’t want to read my genius, that’s fine. Here were my thoughts about the James Harden trade from when it happened;
We can all agree that James Harden makes the 76ers better. In terms of winning a title, their chances improved. But does that mean it’s the right move? No.
For one, James Harden is not what he used to be. We can run from this topic all we want, but it’s true. Unless the 76ers get prime James Harden, this move won’t be worth it.
Grade: C
Me three months ago
Anyway, let’s talk about James Harden. For a minute there, it looked like adding Harden was the perfect move for Philly. Sure, he wasn’t scoring at his past-MVP-self, but he was giving Philly a lot more than Ben Simmons ever would have.
As soon as Harden needed to score, however, the problems emerged. For months, we’ve seen Harden’s physical abilities deteriorate. It could be a lack of conditioning or a bothersome hamstring. Whatever it is, Harden doesn’t have the same burst he did in Houston. He doesn’t drive to the hoop as much. Sometimes, he’s not looking to score, period.
With Joel Embiid dealing with numerous injuries, it was time for Harden to step up. This is why he’s here. To carry the load when Embiid can’t. And what did he do? Shoot two shots in the second half, all but disappearing as the Sixers’ season went along with him.
It was embarrassing. Harden seemed disinterested and out of touch with the game. Joel Embiid saying, “that’s now who he is anymore,” in regards to Harden’s scoring, doesn’t help the matter. So, what is Harden’s future with the 76ers?
Not Worth The Big Deal
All signs point to Harden opting into his player option for 2022-23. It makes sense, given that Harden has the potential to make a ludicrous $47.3 million dollars next year. But will the 76ers give Harden a massive extension? And does he deserve it?
Yesterday, Amar’e Stoudemire said that the owner of the 76ers “can’t commit to giving him a max deal.” And he’s right. Not only is Harden declining, his previous chemistry/attitude problems are still there. He’s been on three teams in three seasons for a reason.
It would be foolish of the 76ers, already swimming in bad contracts (more on that later), to give Harden a deal in the neighborhood of $200 million. But do they even have a choice? I mean, they gave Ben Simmons $177 million in 2019. The whole point of acquiring Harden was to give Embiid his #2 option.
So, while he doesn’t deserve another supermax-type contract, he may just get one. That, or the 76ers somehow find a trade partner for him. But, given the size of his contract and the limited return they would get, it seems impossible to trade him. Unless they’re down for a Westbrook/Embiid duo, which would end my sanity.
In short, trading for James Harden was a mistake. They lost valuable players and draft picks to trade for a player who isn’t good for this team long-term. He’s going to want too much money for what he is – a selfish, past-his-prime former MVP who would rather be at strip clubs than helping his team win playoff games.
Tobias Harris Might Be The Worst Contract Ever
Elton Brand had a summer for the ages in 2019. He had a young team that was one bounce away from the Eastern Conference Finals. He had numerous free agents – players Philly couldn’t afford to lose if they wanted to continue to contend. Here’s how he fared;
- Let Jimmy Butler walk to Miami
- Signed Al Horford to 4-year deal worth $109 million ($97 million guaranteed)
- Re-signed Tobias Harris to a 5-year, $180 million dollar deal
Jimmy Butler is heading to his second conference finals appearance with Miami. Al Horford has a chance to meet Butler there in the next round with Boston. And Tobias Harris? Oh, where do I even start?
At the time, the contract didn’t make sense. Harris had been a solid player for years, but there’s a reason he couldn’t stick with a team for more than a few seasons. He wasn’t worth $180 million dollars – almost $40 million MORE than what Jimmy Butler got in South Beach.
Harris had the best season of his career last year – somewhat redeeming the contract. If he could replicate his 2021 success for more than one season, the deal wouldn’t be as bad as it is. But, that didn’t happen.
Harris regressed across the board in 2022. Without Simmons, you would expect him to take a jump in production. Instead, he went in the other direction. He averaged just 17 points during the playoffs, low for someone making $37.6 million dollars.
So, why is Tobias Harris the worst contract ever? Other bad deals like Westbrook’s and Wall’s made some sense at the time. Those guys were superstars. Some of the best at their position. On the other hand, what had Harris ever done to warrant $180 million? Nothing.
It was a move of desperation, trying to please Embiid after Butler didn’t want to come back. Similar to Harden, Harris is untradeable. Philly can’t possibly recoup value on Harris since nobody wants him for that price tag. He’s immovable.
So, have fun, Daryl!
What They Need This Offseason
Once again, Daryl Morey will have to transform this team over a single offseason. He has a lot of decisions to make to get this team where they want go. Here goes nothing;
- What’s next for Danny Green?
Danny Green’s ugly fall last night resulted in a torn ACL. For a player in the twilight of his career, it seems unlikely he’s going to play with the 76ers again. He’s a free agent this summer, and while Philly needs him, it’s not hard to imagine him retiring.
It’s unfortaunte, but them’s the breaks.
- Will Philly bring back Shake Milton?
Shake Milton was Tyrese Maxey before Tyrese Maxey. He broke onto the scene in 2020 – scoring a career-high 39 points. He averaged 13 points in 2021 before falling out of the rotation entirely in the playoffs. Now, Milton’s future with the team is up in the air.
He has a team option for next season. I assume Philly will want him back simply because there’s no harm in doing so, but will they extend him? He’s a talented player who hasn’t been able to consistently find minutes. For a team desperately needing bench help, Milton could be their anecdote. If only they played him more often.
- Who’s playing backup center?
Watching Philly’s backup frontcourt struggle mightily Embiid was out was fun in the worst way possible. Since Embiid’s become an all-world center, they haven’t had anything close to a competent backup. Paul Reed is raw, Paul Millsap sucks, and so does DeAndre Jordan.
JaVale McGee, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Kevon Looney would all be perfect backups. GET IT DONE, MOREY!
Trust The Process, Again?
It’s hard for Philly to get anything done with the money they’re giving their best players. Assuming Harden opts into his player option, Philly will be paying Embiid, Harris, and himself a combined $118,616,580 next season. They went over the luxury tax this season, and they’ll be close to that mark in the coming seasons.
With their only true assets being Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, it may be time to blow things up. Despite having the third most regular season wins since 2021, Philly has next to nothing to show for it. That’s why it may be time to rebuild.
Whoever wants Harris and Harden, they can take them. To me, Philly may have to take some steps back to go forward. They lack depth, size, and overall roster talent to contend in the East. There are numerous teams better than them right now.
So, to reiterate, Philly is stuck. They have no real choice but to bring Harden back, which will end up being a mistake. Doc Rivers isn’t going to lead this team to the promised land. So, maybe, it’s time to;
Trust. The. Process. Again.
What Should The 76ers Do? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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