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On February 15, Former NBA players and ESPN Analysts Jalen Rose and JJ Redick explained why the Philadelphia 76ers are the one team who are in dire need of winning an NBA title this season more than anyone else in the league on “NBA Countdown.”
“‘Dire need’ is the Philadelphia 76ers,” Rose said. “Because if they don’t make the Conference Finals, the NBA Finals, and possibly win it all, guess what might happen? They’re probably going to change their General Manager in Daryl Morey, they’re probably going to fire their coach in Doc Rivers, and James Harden may actually leave.”
Rose added that since LeBron James left the Eastern Conference in 2018, multiple teams have since won the Eastern Conference except for the Sixers despite having Joel Embiid on the team.
“When LeBron James left the east…the Raptors, the Heat, the Bucks, and the Celtics have all won the east, while great player Joel Embiid has had to stand back and watch.”
The Sixers have made the playoffs every year since 2018, and have advanced past the first round every single season except 2020, but they have failed to get past the second round each season. If they have the same final result this season, some changes could be in order.
Redick Explains Consequences of Playoff Failures
Redick, who played for the Sixers from 2017 to 2019, expanded further on Rose’s point about the possible consequences they may face if they don’t accomplish their playoff goals this season.
“In the NBA, there are consequences to not reaching expectations,” Redick said. “Is James Harden opting out? It’s potential front office and coaching changes. That’s the reality of our league. The question is, can the 76ers actually see the fruition of the process? It’s something that we thought maybe would have happened by now, and it hasn’t.”
Redick then explained that the moves that the Sixers made in the offseason set the bar for what their goals are for the upcoming postseason, which can be problematic for them if those goals aren’t reached.
“When you trade for a player like James Harden, and you go out and reload, and you get De’Anthony Melton, and you get P.J. Tucker, and you re-sign James Harden on a cheaper contract, and he has an option to opt-out in July, that sets the stage for ‘results better happen or there will be changes.'”
Sixers Insider Previews Tough Decision With James Harden
On the February 16 episode of “Clap Your Hands,” Kyle Neubeck of PhilyVoice said that because he expects Harden to opt-out, the Sixers will have to pay him the money he wants or lose him in free agency.
“The big story might be less about this season and more about that guy is opting out and asking for the full max and you either giving it to him or he’s leaving because he is worth that in this current form and I don’t think he’s taking less than that if I had to guess.,” Neubeck said.
As previously mentioned, Harden has a player option for $35.6 million next season. Whether the Sixers opt to pay him what he wants may very well depend on how they fare in the postseason.
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