Philadephia 76ers
When it comes to team blueprints that could be in trouble heading into the NBA Playoffs, I believe that the Philadelphia 76ers are firmly in that group. Considering that James Harden is essentially an expiring contract after the season and all the noise that is surrounding his possible return to Houston, I would not say that it’s a foregone conclusion that this team runs it back next season.
And if the Sixers lose early on in the playoffs, the calls for change will only echo even louder. And I’d have to imagine that “change” likely includes a huge alteration to the team’s current blueprint (with the exception of Joel Embiid). But even that’s somewhat of a question.
Would Embiid want to undergo another retooling of the blueprint? I’m not so sure. He’s one big-name superstar that should be kept a close eye on heading into the offseason, even more so if the season comes to a disappointing ending in the playoffs.
Over the next few weeks, it’ll be interesting to see how each of these teams ends up closing the season. But one thing is for sure, there may be plenty more that is at play for many of these teams heading into the NBA Playoffs.