The Sixers – We’re Screwed!

The Celtics’ embarrassing 24-point thrashing of the 76ers in Game 7 feels like the closing of the Embiid winning window. James Harden does not have the talent and/or desire to play at an All-Star level consistently, especially in the Playoffs. Tobias Harris just isn’t mentally tough enough to flourish in high-pressure Playoff situations. While Harris had moments defensively, he just continues to come up small offensively whether he’s paid $40m or $15m. Maxey has a bright future ahead of him, but he’s not ready to be the second superstar alongside Embiid taking the 76ers to the next level.

Doc Rivers has had his moments, both good and bad. He held the ship steady through the Ben Simmons drama and the addition/integration of Harden. Not all coaches could’ve kept that together. However, Doc and his huge staff of assistant coaches seemed clueless in drafting answers for the Sixers’ lack of spacing and movement on offense and their inability to rotate effectively on defense. This should be Doc’s last game as the Sixers’ Head Coach.

Blowing it up feels like the right thing to do the morning after that soul-crushing loss to the Celtics,  but there’s nothing to blow up. We can hope Harden opts out and goes to Houston, but losing his $36m does little for a team that is projected to be $59m over the salary cap, according to Spotrac. Bringing him back feels like the only option.

Maybe you can find someone to take on Tobias Harris’ expiring $39m contract, but the 76ers will not receive any substantial assets in a salary dump trade. They have no stable of draft picks to rely upon. Moving Embiid is the only move that could bring significant returns, but would put this team back to a middle-of-the-pack squad for the foreseeable future.

Maybe Morey can get Howie Rosen to take a look at the salaries and cap rules for some loopholes.

The reality is that this organization has made far too many fatal flaws through the years. Okafor. Trading two first-round draft picks for Markelle Fultz. Ben Simmons. Choosing Brett Brown and Ben Simmons over Jimmy Butler. Signing Tobias Harris to a max contract once Elton Brandt knew he was losing Butler and needed to save face after trading multiple picks for Harris. Colangelo. The list goes on and on.

Everyone loves winning. That’s a fact that I’m pretty confident in stating. Even the likes of James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris enjoy winning. You can see it on their faces when it happens.

Some people hate losing. You can see it on their faces when it happens. You can see it in how they bounce back after losing. Kobe Bryant. Michael Jordan. Bryce Harper. Losing seems to hurt them more than the joy they experience in winning. Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tobias Harris are not those types of players. You can see it in their body language. You can hear it in their post-game press conferences. That, in the end, maybe the biggest obstacle in the Sixers’ way.

I’m not a capologist, but it feels like the Sixers are screwed. It feels like we, Sixers fans, are also screwed—unless Morey finds a way to bring the likes of a Damian Lillard to Philly.

Also, F*ck Boston!