Doc Rivers has been fired, and Nick Nurse has been hired. However, the 76ers are far from fixed. The roster is getting older and more expensive, and the mental toughness of the team is in doubt. The Philadelphia 76ers still seem to be a h0t mess after blowing a 3-2 series lead to the Boston Celtics during the second round of the 2023 NBA playoffs.
After another disappointing post-season, Philadelphia fans are demanding changes. After falling short in the second round for the fifth time during the Joel Embiid era, many believe getting over that hump is impossible. While some may believe that to be true, there are a few things the team can do that can change the trajectory of the franchise’s future.
How to Fix the Philadelphia 76ers
Acquire Defensive Role Players That Can Score
While many fans may want the team to blow it up and move off of James Harden, that will likely not happen. Daryl Morey and the front office seem to be set on building around Harden and Embiid. They can win with those two as long as they fill out the roster with role players that can play defense and score when needed.
The Denver Nuggets are succeeding with that recipe right now. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić are unable to defend well consistently, but their teammates pick up much of their slack while those two do the work of offense. Their teammates can give their stars offensive production when needed, but their main job is to defend with high effort.
PJ Tucker does that for the 76ers, but his offense is frequently nonexistent at 38 years of age. The rest of the Sixers’ role players often give up more points than they provide.
There are plenty of well-rounded NBA players that would be able to make more of an impact on both ends of the court than some of the guys the team has now. All the 76ers have to do is evaluate who can make that type of impact. Then Morey has to go acquire three or four of those players.
Move On From Tobias Harris
Since Philadelphia opted to keep Tobias Harris over Jimmy Butler, the team seems to be cursed. It is time to move on from Harris.
Harris has had some bright moments for the 76ers during his tenure with the team. With that said, his game has too many flaws.
Harris’s shot selection is frequently poor. He gets picked apart on defense in humiliating ways. He has also proven to be inconsistent in the playoffs. At the worst possible times, he kills the team’s momentum. He has been an expensive stain on the team’s payroll for four years. It is time for the 76ers to move on from Tobias Harris.
There will surely be some team out there that will bite the bullet and take Harris off of the 76ers’ hands. Philadelphia needs to rid itself of the plague that is Tobias Harris before he ruins another contending Sixers team.
If the 76ers can simply do these two things this off-season, then maybe they will not experience Deja Vu this time next year. It is a simple, achievable recipe for success to get to at least the Eastern Conference Finals.
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