It all came crashing down on the Sixers on Sunday afternoon.
They positioned themselves to reach the Eastern Conference Finals by taking a 3-2 lead over the Celtics in their second-round series. Philadelphia failed to close out Boston at home, then got humiliated with a second-half flop on the Celtics’ home floor on Sunday afternoon.
Coach Doc Rivers is in a familiar place, failing to get his team to over the hump in the postseason. Rivers couldn’t get the Clippers to take the next step and that pattern has repeated in Philadelphia.
Joel Embiid achieved the highest individual honor this season, capturing his first Most Valuable Player, but he was a no-show in Game 7. He went 5-for-18 from the field and finished with 15 points in 38 minutes. Embiid also committed four turnovers, one fewer than the team’s other star.
James Harden had a couple of huge games in the series but he fizzled out with two chances to close out the series. He scored 13 points in Game 6 and nine in Game 7 while committing a combined 10 turnovers in the two games.
Harden holds a player option on his contract and there has been plenty of speculation that he’s eyeing a return to Houston for the next chapter of his career. Tobias Harris will make over $39MM in the final year of his contract next season.
Tyrese Maxey will be eligible for a rookie scale extension and will certainly be looking for big money, if not a max deal. The Sixers will have a lot of decisions to make regarding their bench as well, including whether to pursue some of their own free agents such as Paul Reed and Georges Niang.
That leads us to our topic of the day: Should the Sixers fire Doc Rivers after their latest postseason disappointment? Should top exec Daryl Morey go as well? Should they try to re-sign Harden if he opts out? How should they retool their roster to finally reach the Finals with Embiid in his prime?
Please take to the comments to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
As I said prior, keep the big three, try and find a taker for Tobi, and see if you can get a more reliable scorer to effectively be your #4.
Why do you want to pay Harden? Not being sarcastic.
Why?
although he lost a step he’s still a phenomenal playmaker. I would keep him on his 30 or so million but i’m not giving him a extension.
He’s gonna lose another step soon.
Sixers are over the tax so they won’t have a max slot to sign someone else to.
4 big contacts
Embiid
Harden
Harris
Maxey stands for Max contract
6 mid sized?
McDaniels wanted $80mm?
Melton
Tucker
Korkmax
Niang wants money?
Milton
To Sign and trade free agents is not easy
Everyone but the big 3 are stiffs. Let em walk. Maybe keep BBall.
Big two. Harden isn’t going to win anything until he learns to play a full game. Boston showed it.
As far as 4th scoring options go they don’t get much more consistent and efficient as Tobias to be fair. Hes just overpaid that’s the only problem with him and that contract makes it really hard for the team.
Sure let Harris go, you aren’t going to replace his production with a mid-level exception or a veterans minimum level player though.
Uh, yes they do. Harris is, at best, a non-factor in a game.
What did PG say about Doc Rivers?
Paul George says Doc Rivers misused him in Clippers offense, failed to adjust while blowing 3-1 lead to Denver
Doc was fine this series. Issue was the shooting and also stamina of Emhiid/Harden. I’d take Monty or Bud over him, granted, but not sure how much such a move would move the needle.
Trade Harris to Thunder for a 2nd round pick
Sign McDaniels to replace Harris
Sign Harden
Save $80 million luxury tax
Thunder leverage other teams to use their own cap space for actual assets, like 1-2 FRP for a high dollar player. What value is it to the Thunder to spend $40MM for a second round pick? They can buy one from another team for $2MM or even trade 2 of their own SRP to move up. lol, c’mon man do better than that.
Harden turns 34 in August. He can’t be counted on to consistently bring it. I like Maxey, but I don’t see him a a Big Three player. FWIW, my suggestion is to check on the availability of Donovan Mitchell. Would a package involving Maxey work? Joel/DM/Harden >>> current Big 3.
Well, other then the fact that Mitchell is probably NOT available, would cost more than the Sixers have to give, and probably won’t work salary-wise, sure, why not.
Doc is gone.. hopefully harden goes to Houston.. Morey screwed this franchise bc he had to have his buddy. There were many better trade options that could have set the franchise up for present and future but he had to have harden, who’s never won anything. They either need to punt a year with embiid and then try to retool or else trade embiid and start from scratch again
One of them needs to go
Morey or Rivers?
Why?
You trades all the future picks for the result like this
Run it back for the 2024 second round loss to Milwaukee
Yeah, if they give Maxey and Harden the money they want Philly could be good enough to lose in the second round for the next 3 years maybe.
Rivers is gone, much of the rest of the roster is available to trade or let go. Obviously Embid and Maxey are staying.
Houston is not taking Harden. He would be a cancer there with such a young team. Best thing that can happen is he opts out. Be done with him. And then you should fire Moreyon. Harris with an expiring contract. Should be able to be moved.
But then you need a Real PG. A pass first and run the team PG. Don’t see where you get that.
These FAs ……. If Harden walks.
Miles Bridges is a player they should look at.
KJ Martin a solid defender still improving offense . Should be looked at
Dennis Schroder should be looked at
Tre Jones should also be looked at.
It’s back to the drawing board for Philly.
The Sixers messed up years ago when they took Ben Simmons. They should have taken Jayson Tatum but now they have to live with that awful decision because I don’t think there would be any discussion about any of this.
Tatum was in a different draft. It was either Simmons or a very raw Brandon Ingram. Tatum was in the Fultz draft. Fultz just forgot how to shoot for whatever reason.
They could have had Jaylen Brown in that draft. Tatum and Brown could both be 76ers right now.
Celtics would’ve never swapped picks with Philly if they didn’t confirm they were taking Fultz. Danny Ainge has said as much. They fleeced Philly then, much like they did today
They took Markelle Fultz instead of JT… not Ben Simmons, come on, dude!!!
Not only is Doc Rivers gonna get deservedly fired so to should Morey and Brand. Tobias Harris needs to go. Maxey is almost certainly getting the rookie max and he deserves it. If Harden wants to go back to Houston let him.
Every doc team coached by doc has always had the exact same problem of offensive no shows… it also happened in Boston and in LA. He’s just a bad offensive coach. Only reason he won a ring is because he stumbled over a point guard (Rondo) smart enough to completely ignore him.
Keep Embid and Maxey, and build around them. I have never liked Harden. He should foul out of every game with his pushing off with the off hand.
Fire Doc. Keep Morey. Trade Tobias. S&T Harden. Trade Joel. Sign Maxey 5/125-140 w All NBAs. Trade Tucker. Let the Tank begin, just not as obvious.
Fire Doc is right
Keep More
As to what to do for the rest I am unsure
If I’m PHI, I start by firing Morey. The idea would be to have his successor in place before the Harden opt in, opt out, decision. Right now, the team is set up for a retooling after 2023-24. But PHI extending Harden, or making other short term moves, could change that. Does ownership really want Morey making these decisions? If an opt in occurs, then I can actually see them running it back for a year, and even keeping Doc.
the only way Joel beat is going to win an NBA title especially in his prime is if he request the trade and gets traded to a championship caliber team. he will not win a title in philadelphia.
Brooklyn deserves some credit …. Dallas is gonna be paying Kyrie his max deal. Meanwhile, Philly likely has a wink-wink with Harden to give him his max. Not sure if Harden can just take the player option. His value on the open market will likely be less next year, and surely not anywhere near maximum money.
Brooklyn has a few young pieces, and only have Ben Simmons as a bad contract.
Personally, goodbye doc you tried but ultimately stalled just like at the clippers.
Money you can stay for now, you’ve done well in fairness getting out Brett Brown and slightly upgrading to Doc. You messed up the Jimmy Butler situation but that’s also in large part to Brett Brown. Tobias deal is a regret but you’ve also drafted well to get Maxey and when Simmons turned to crap you held out and waited for Hardens price to come down and secured him. I don’t think he has been as poor as Doc has so I’d give him another year.
In terms of replacing him I’d go for either Monty Williams who is a former assistant or Mike Dantoni. Monty knows the team, knows the franchise and the city. I rate him as a coach he was the casualty of a new owner stamping control. Mike on the other hand is a Morrey and Harden guy. Great basketball mind, very experienced and well respected.
As for the roster, it’s really tough. Harden is getting old now, how much is a guy in his mid thirties on the decline that gives you 20-10 worth? I guess the comparison is Chris Paul…
Not to sure if I’d want to double down on that or not. The other direction I guess would be giving Maxey a bigger opportunity and bringing in someone new or two.
Idk how you pin this on Doc. I’d get rid of Morey first. What is this team? Either move everything through Embiid or Harden has to have a crazy game which is not what he is there for at this point. So when Embiid takes a night off due to injury or whatever, what happens?
I guess I said the same thing about the Sun’s and blamed Monty, but idk. If Embiid is the MVP I expect more. Thats just me.
I do think it’s crazy that Tatum stomped all over Currys legacy only like a week later. I’d rather be Philly than Oakland right now. That is a freaking mess!
poor Warriors, they only have 4 rings in the past 7 years. meanwhile, Sacramento has been in the conference finals more recently than Philly. But sure, you’d rather be Philly…
I mean if you want to go off past success then I’d rather be the Celtics or Lakers lmao. What a dumb reply. I’m talking about the future. But yeah, flashing your rings is worth a few baskets. Ask Klay how that worked out for him lmao
Healthy Kawhi/George or healthy Embiid/Harden?
Both groups can only past first rounds
One of those guys has rings..
A lot of people blaming Morey but he fleeced the Nets when he traded them Simmons for Harden.
Everyone wants them to trade Tobias Harris. The problem is you can’t replace his production with veterans minimum or mid-level exception caliber player. Unless the do something drastic that’s all the cap space they have.
You can blame Doc and they probably will but he doesn’t take and miss shots and prime Olajuwon would’ve had a problem stopping Tatum in the last 5 minutes of game 6 and all of game 7.
Not sure what the answer is here but they don’t really have much of a choice but to ride it out until Embiid asks out or retires.
Philly must get rid of Moreyon first. Then decide what to do with Harden. Imo he’s a fool if he doesn’t opt in. He will never see a big payday again. An all star player who simply does not show up in playoffs. He wanted no part of the ball. He gave it up quickly. He has no legs left. If his shot is not falling. Then he basically is a no show. How many times did he hit the floor and never ran back on D. He can barely dunk the ball now lols.
He opts in then you trade him. He opts out then you praise the lord. And move on. Must find and old school PG. Run the team pass first PG. I would look into Miles Bridges if Harden opts out.
Fire Doc
Let Harden walk
Try and find some other team dumb enough to think Embid is the answer to “the process” and get as many picks as possible (Utah? Okc?)
Extend Maxey
Use picks referenced above to attach to Harris trade
START ALL OVER (again)
Agreed, minus Embiid.
They’ll never win it all with Embid. I believe they’ve proved that already
Hardens the Big Q ~
I wouldn’t want more than the year but that usually doesn’t fly when the players in the drivers seat
It’s tough, they’d actually have some pretty significant cap if they semi-punted next year, some decent possibilities in free agency to pair w/ Embid but it’s difficult relying on even the idea of free agency these days
Their best option is simply a Harden opt in but that’s outta their hands –
* Way too much Tobi hate in here, he hasn’t prohibited them from making any moves the last couple years. He’s basically just burned some extra cash outta the owners pockets. The hate is not only off base it’s completely illogical in it’s roots
The process is over
It was over before Embiid even played a single game… the league killed it, very sad to say!
The got to get rid of Harris, that fool is a complete liability
Embiid did a Great Houdini, right?
Sadly every body is realising too late that Jokic is the real MVP!