Getty Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers will resume their season being one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, sporting a 38-19 record, which is good enough to rank them no. 3 behind the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. However, Sixers’ MVP candidate Joel Embiid told Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer why that’s not good enough in their case.
“It’s good, but it’s all about continuing it,” he said. “You still have to be able to have that continuity and be able to take it further into the second half of the season and in the playoffs.
“It’s good, but it’s the regular season. That’s not what matters.”
The Sixers are all too familiar with regular season success. Outside of 2020, the Sixers have finished with a top-4 record in the Eastern Conference every season since 2018. Despite that, the Sixers have failed to capitalize on their high seeding in the postseason, only managing to go as far as Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals twice over the last five seasons.
For the Sixers to demonstrate that they’ve made progress, they have to go further than their previous playoff outings, which means, at the very least, making their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2001.
Sixers’ Potential Playoff Failure Could Lead to Changes
On the February 15 episode of “NBA Countdown,” former NBA players Jalen Rose and JJ Reeick both agreed that the Sixers are the most desperate team for success this season, and furthermore, if they don’t go further in the playoffs, they may have to make some changes.
“‘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.”
Redick said that not progressing in the NBA leads to big changes, which has been the Sixers’ very issue.
“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 also explained how the Sixers’ moves this offseason signaled their mindset this season.
“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.’
Tyrese Maxey Believes Sixers Can Step it Up in Postseason
Maxey told Pompey that he knows the Sixers will have to take it to another gear to win, which he believes they can do.
“Certain teams flip the switch,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Playoffs or championship teams flip that switch, and we have to be able to flip that switch post-All-Star break.
“I think we have the mentality, the guys, the talent and camaraderie to do it.”
Embiid’s and Maxey’s words indicate that the Sixers are aware of what the stakes are for them and what they have to do. Only time will tell if they can get over the hump.