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The Philadelphia 76ers have Daryl Morey to thank for many, many things.
Shortly after he joined the team as President of Basketball Operations, Morey brought in Seth Curry to add a dimension of shooting missing since the days of JJ Redick. He and the front office shrewdly identified and drafted Tyrese Maxey late in the first round. Morey held firm in the Ben Simmons trade saga, refusing to sell the defensive star for pennies on the dollar. And this summer, he identified clear areas of need (depth, defensive identity) and addressed them via free agency and a draft-night trade. And since taking over in 2020, the Sixers have won 100 regular season games, trailing only the Phoenix Suns (115) and Utah Jazz (101) over that stretch.
So to say Morey has earned himself a break from basketball would be an understatement.
And over the last few weeks, Morey has spent some time away from basketball in order to get ready for the meat grinder that can be the NBA season. But don’t worry, the analytics guru is still very much keeping up with sports.
“76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has spent the past week-plus on the sort of travel run to leave even someone as spoiled as I am envious,” NBA insider Marc Stein wrote on his blog The Stein Line on September 5. “Morey just attended five Premier League soccer matches on a whirlwind itinerary that took him to: Manchester City 4, Crystal Palace 2; Wolves 1, Newcastle 1; Leeds 1, Everton 1; Everton 0, Liverpool 0 in the Merseyside Derby and then Manchester United 3, Arsenal 1 in Sunday’s capper.”
No, it’s not an exclusive cabana on the beach of some beautifully manicured private resort. But for Morey, getting to watch some of Europe’s most incredible athletes battle it out on the pitch is still very much a vacation.
Morey Visited More Than Just the Soccer Pitch
It wasn’t all boots and shinguards for Morey, though. In addition to attending some hotly contested soccer matches, Morey paid homage to computer science legend Alan Turing.
Turing famously helped crack Nazi Germany’s Enigma code for the Allies during World War II. Every year, the Association for Computing Machinery gives out an award in Turing’s honor, recognizing individuals who have made massive strides in the field. And while Morey has never won the award, it has gone to notable recipients, including World Wide Web founder Tim Burners-Lee.
Does Morey Have the Sixers Ready to Compete?
Morey is the consummate roster-builder, known for ambitious trades and data-backed acquisitions. But has he done enough this summer to ensure the Sixers are ready to compete for a title?
According to ESPN, that answer is yes. The Sixers are among several teams most ready to win now. After adding James Harden last year and PJ Tucker this summer, though, the window is quickly closing.
In fact, despite the youth of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, this is a team that might have foreclosed its chance at a title five years down the line in order to win now. If the Sixers win a championship, it will have all been worth it. But if the Sixers are on the hook for an aging roster and ballooning salaries? It’s a tougher pill to swallow.
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