The Philadelphia 76ers need to start a new “process.”
After a huge Game 5 win, the Philadelphia 76ers looked like a team that was finally ready to break through in the Eastern Conference. Winning on the road at TD Garden to take a 3-2 series lead, the Sixers had the defending Eastern Conference champions on the ropes. In the end, they simply weren’t able to land the final knockout punch in Game 6 or 7.
Instead of moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Sixers’ season is over and they enter the summer with many questions to answer. And none of them will be easy.
It may be time for the Philadelphia 76ers to hit the reset button
After another disappointing showing in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, the Sixers have to look in the mirror and be honest with themselves. When looking at the long-term potential, there’s a strong argument to be made that the Sixers need – or should – hit the rest button.
With the offseason now here for the Sixers, we explore three reasons why it’s time for the team to start a new “process.”
1. The Philadelphia 76ers have been pretending everything was OK when it wasn’t
If we expect the Sixers to be honest this offseason, we must be honest here. The Sixers have been operating as if everything has been OK, but everything has changed ever since they traded Ben Simmons. The timeline was shortened and the margin for error was closed. When they acquired James Harden for Simmons, it was clear that they needed to win a championship in the next 2-3 years. Two years in, they haven’t gotten any closer than before.
And that should worry this team’s front office.
The Sixers were somewhat forced to go all-in by trading Simmons. While the acquisition of Harden was a win considering the team’s circumstances, it hasn’t exactly paid off in the long run as perhaps the team believed it would.
But because of the team’s forced hand, they are now in a difficult situation after two disappointing playoff losses in back-to-back years. Whether you believe it or not, the Harden-Simmons trade changed everything for the Sixers. It’s time they admit it.