For the past four seasons, those around the NBA have had very high hopes for the Sixers but unfortunately, they never seem to be able to get over the hump in the playoffs.
In fact, the Sixers have still not advanced past the second round of the NBA playoffs since 2001 despite the big names that have come through town. Big names like Doc Rivers, Daryl Morey, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, James Harden, Jimmy Butler, Dwight Howard, Al Horford, and Tobias Harris have come to Philly but all of these teams have failed to make any real noise in an Eastern Conference that has been wide open for the most part. It just seems like year after year the 76ers fall short when it matters.
The Sixers are no longer a young and upcoming team, they have had plenty of playoff experience, plenty of winning and losing but still find themselves in the same position going into the 2022-2023 season.
After adding big names and shaking up the coaching staff and front office in previous years, the Sixers took this offseason to add some gutsy players like PJ Tucker and Montrezl Harrell, players that are going to give this team an edge. Tucker and Harrell respectively are two players that are going to do the dirty work and give this team a firey personality which is something they have not had in the recent past.
You can have attractive names like Joel Embiid and James Harden but even Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen needed a player like Dennis Rodman to have sustained success. It is proven year after year that the team aspect of the NBA is what wins. There is a clear blueprint of NBA teams that win consistently and it is ones that grow together. Super teams continue to pop up around the league but it is proven year after year that is not how you succeed in the NBA.
For every Jordan there is a Rodman, for every Steph Curry there is a Draymond Green, the NBA is not an individual game, there is a reason why they call it a team game. For the first time in a long time, this Sixers team might really take the personality of the city that they play for. Get ready for the Sixers version of the Broad Street Bullies.
Photo via Bill Streicher of USA TODAY Sports
