The Philadelphia 76ers slipped back in the standings last season despite adding talent. Here are five roster moves they must make this offseason.
After years of going through the process, now was meant to be a golden time for the Philadelphia 76ers. They have two generational talents in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons yet could not take a game off the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2020 playoffs.
In fact, the 76ers finished sixth in the Eastern Conference, despite adding Al Horford to their incredibly talented lineup. Last season they finished third in the Eastern Conference, so the Horford experiment appears to have failed.
This season cost coach Brett Brown his job. The franchise stood by him through the tough times, but it appears he is not the man to lead the 76ers to glory. The issue for Philly appears to be part front office and part coach, but the man on the sidelines tends to take the heat. Now it is Doc Rivers’ turn to see how far he can take the team.
When it was just Simmons and Embiid, the 76ers had a better record than they do with all the extra talent around them. They did also have JJ Redick at the time, who was very effective at spacing the floor. He allowed the big two to have more room to showcase their respective talents.
There appears to be a slight issue with the basketball culture in Philadelphia if you believe Jimmy Butler’s words from a podcast he did with Redick almost a year ago. The apparent lack of accountability and structure within the team is not going to allow for success within the franchise. This is the coaches and team leaders’ responsibility to enforce.
The 76ers are well over the salary cap with $147 million committed in salary for next season. They have one first round and four second-round picks in the upcoming 2020 Draft. With all this in mind, here are five roster moves the Philadelphia 76ers need to make.