Getty Tobias Harris #12, Tyrese Maxey #0, James Harden #1, and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Maybe emotions are still running high after the Philadelphia 76ers trounced the Brooklyn Nets in its preseason opener. Maybe it’s because Tyrese Maxey does indeed look primed for his first All-Star nod this season. Maybe it’s because the Phillies are heading to their first postseason in a decade and the Eagles are the only unbeaten team left in football.
But my goodness doesn’t it feel like this could be the Sixers’ year? The roster is deeper, more talented, and loaded with experience this year after the additions of PJ Tucker, Danuel House, Montrezl Harrell, and De’Anthony Melton. Joel Embiid should continue his MVP form and James Harden could be the second coming of Magic Johnson if Doc Rivers is to be believed. It’s still early, but the vibes are immaculate. Which is something few others (not you, Boston Celtics) can truly say.
And at least one NBA insider is jumping on the Sixers hype train. John Hollinger of The Athletic came out swinging with a slew of bold Sixers predictions in an article on October 5.
“Get them to a postseason series healthy, and I like how they match up against the Bucks, Celtics and Nets,” Hollinger wrote.
“So here goes: I’m picking Philly to win it all, and Embiid to win MVP. Check back in nine months for a good laugh.”
But Hollinger’s prediction came with a *minor* caveat: it could be Philadelphia’s last shot at going all the way.
Sixers Facing ‘Put-Up-Or-Shut-Up’ Season
Look, Sixers fans have been down this road before. When Jimmy Butler came over from Minnesota in 2018, The Process looked vindicated. The Sixers were all but guaranteed a spot in the Finals. Even more so when Philadelphia added Tobias Harris a few months later.
Needless to say, it didn’t quite work out. It required Kawhi Leonard to pull a rabbit out of his hat to lift the Toronto Raptors over Philadelphia, but such is history. As such, the Sixers are running out of chances in this playoff window.
“This, then, is the put-up-or-shut-up year for The Process, in all likelihood the best chance this group will ever have to put up a banner in their dump of an arena (hey, don’t shoot the messenger). If they don’t come reasonably close, there probably will be some uncomfortable discussions next summer,” Hollinger added.
Hollinger isn’t alone in that sentiment. One Eastern Conference executive also has the impression this is a make-or-break season, not just for the Sixers, but for one star player in particular.
A Make-or-Break Season for Joel Embiid?
According to one Eastern Conference executive, another early playoff exit for Philadelphia might not be enough for Sixers star Joel Embiid.
“This has to be a make-or-break kind of year for [Embiid]. He has been to the playoffs five times now and never past the second round? Look, they’re not going to trade him or anything but if they can’t make progress this season, they’re going to have to look at how this whole thing is constructed and maybe rebuild some parts of it. Do they have enough shooting? Have they had the right kind of playmaker in the backcourt? You have to start thinking about that. He’s going to be 29. You can’t go out in the second round again,” the exec told Heavy.com insider Sean Deveney.
So far, Embiid has been patient and ruthlessly added to his game each season. But if the Sixers are going to have “uncomfortable discussions” next season, it’s hard to imagine Embiid not being part of those discussions. No, Philadelphia likely wouldn’t move on from their future Hall of Famer, but it’s hard to imagine, say, Doc Rivers returning.