After tying their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Miami Heat in two games, the Philadelphia 76ers became punchless and dropped the next two games, games that weren’t even close.
This immediately led to speculation that head coach Doc Rivers would be fired by general manager Daryl Moore, which was rumored for some time.
Hours after Hit Philly was sent home for the summer, Moore said the rivers weren’t going anywhere.
Daryl Moore says Doc Rivers will return as coach next season.
– Tim Bontemps (Timbontemps) May 13, 2022
Even if the Sixers subsequently fired Rivers and replaced him with another established NBA head coach, it would not solve their problem.
Rather, their problems are deeper than those who hold a clipboard on their bench.
The roster requires an overhaul
On paper, Philly has a good roster of pro basketball and one would think it would give the team a real shot to compete for the championship.
Joel Mbide, the Sixers arguably has the best truth center in the NBA, and even though Nikola Jokic is better than him, MVP award voters think Mbide is still a truly influential and one-of-a-kind player. .
He led the league in scoring goals this season, and his offensive play is based on a slight one from Hekim Olajuun, a base from Moses Malone, who led the Sixers to their last World Championship in 1983.
Joel MBD has done quite well this season
প্রথম The first international-born player to lead the NBA in scoring
প্রথম First center of 30 pp average of 40 years
🎭 MVP came second in the voting pic.twitter.com/Bis0bVmrnJ– NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 13, 2022
Embed deserves a lot of credit for getting himself in better shape and moving from a great player to a truly influential player, but his playoffs still leave something to be desired.
After being occasionally dominant in the first round of the Toronto Raptors, his high-water mark against Miami was Game 4 when he had 24 points and 11 rebounds.
These numbers are good, but still uncomfortable for a person with MBD talent and skills
When Philly needed an embed to be his best self or something close to him in Game 5 and Game 6, he felt isolated and lacking in aggression.
Then there’s the James Harden case.
Just a few years ago, it was the longest-running three-year stretch in its history, which led many to compare him to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
But this season, he hasn’t been able to hit the wide side of the barn.
In Game 6, Harden took just nine shots in all games, continuing the long trend of poor performance in eliminated games over the years.
It is self-evident that teams accept the personalities of their best players and the personality of MBD and especially Harden will not accomplish this easily in big games.
Big steps may need to be taken
Some have speculated that Harden’s struggles this season were due to a hamstring injury last spring.
At 32 years old, it seems very disturbing and it may make one think that he will never again be an all-star level player.
The Philadelphians associate themselves with the qualities that the Philadelphians attach the most to when the Sixers fill the list with players who have to trade Harden and achieve what he can.