Game 62 - Sixers @ Mavs 7:30pm ET TNT

[Sixteen]

We should have canned Doc earlier in the season. Now I am afraid it's too late for any coach to come in and implement a new system & style for the team. This team is still too inconsistent to be considered a serious threat to win the east. Our players still haven't fully bought into their roles and I blame Doc and his inconsistent rotations.

[Bum Adebayo]

We don't play hard, the pieces don't fit, it's a culture issue mostly, time to blow it up, we need to change EVERYTHING, the culture change makes it necessary, different players, different coach, different FO, all changed, the end of the process (a failure).

[Embiid P]

I’ve seen too many awful floater attempts from Maxey to give him the ball for the last shot. Maybe he gets there one day but he’s not there yet.

I think he should be the guy at times if Doc is smart enough to use Embiid and Harden as decoys. If nothing else, it prevents them from being overly predictable on final possessions and Embiid from getting double teamed and stripped or taking an extremely difficult fadeaway shot with the entire defense in his face.

[Sixteen]

Unfortunately this team is capped and perennial 2nd round fodder, we are a treadmill team, I've come to the conclusion that we need to start again.
Current roster won't cut it, Trade Embiid and rebuild.

The thing is, we could have easily been in the ECF a couple of times. I think with a healthy embiid last season we beat the Miami heat. Then there's the Kawhi shot, which will be an all-time game winner. And then you have the Atlanta Hawks series in which Ben Simmons self destructed and even then we still had a chance to win game 7. We just have the worst luck

[the_process]

Unfortunately this team is capped and perennial 2nd round fodder, we are a treadmill team, I've come to the conclusion that we need to start again.
Current roster won't cut it, Trade Embiid and rebuild.

The thing is, we could have easily been in the ECF a couple of times. I think with a healthy embiid last season we beat the Miami heat. Then there's the Kawhi shot, which will be an all-time game winner. And then you have the Atlanta Hawks series in which Ben Simmons self destructed and even then we still had a chance to win game 7. We just have the worst luck

Luck is a part of the game, and the best teams can forge their own to an extent.

This team does not have that personality, though.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

Are you guys mad?

. I feel like the only people that actually get mad anymore are the there is always tomorrow people that still deny reality. They get mad at the more realistic fan that realizes this team is stuck and arent placated by winning 50 games and losing in the second round anymore.

So....Are you mad? If so, can you describe your anger in three different sentences? I want to see you express your anger. Get it out! Anger is not the way.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

Unfortunately this team is capped and perennial 2nd round fodder, we are a treadmill team, I've come to the conclusion that we need to start again.
Current roster won't cut it, Trade Embiid and rebuild.

The thing is, we could have easily been in the ECF a couple of times. I think with a healthy embiid last season we beat the Miami heat. Then there's the Kawhi shot, which will be an all-time game winner. And then you have the Atlanta Hawks series in which Ben Simmons self destructed and even then we still had a chance to win game 7. We just have the worst luck

There are those that blame the Atlanta series on how the "team" played and then there are those that blame the outcome of the Atlanta series on Ben Simmons. Myself, I think thought we should have beaten them in six games that year and I blame 95.93% of that outcome on Ben Simmons. It was his fault we lost that series.

[mjkvol]

Unfortunately this team is capped and perennial 2nd round fodder, we are a treadmill team, I've come to the conclusion that we need to start again.
Current roster won't cut it, Trade Embiid and rebuild.

We aren't getting better trading Embiid stop it already. Not to mention we don't even own our picks

Someday people will stop responding to the trolls, namely Bum and Ferry, who rear their heads from under their rocks after every loss. Someday.

[Bum Adebayo]

It's not just about this loss though, do people really not see that the same pattern is repeating over and over? we need to start fresh, clearly Embiid is a fantastic player but it won't work here to win a championship, it is what it is, the culture ingrained sucks, time to change that, and of course Embiid is just a part, it starts at the top, a radical change is needed, new GM new coach new all, you can keep Maxey if you want but only him, Embiid is carrying the process culture and Harden is carrying the choke culture.

[spikeslovechild]

Nope not buying what you are selling sorry. Embiid if he is healthy is more than capable of leading us to a championship.

Furthermore, there is no off-ramp to this. If Harden or Embiid leaves we are f;ed we need to figure out how to make them work not tear it down.

[Bum Adebayo]

There is no proof of it though, Embid is amazing but is just a plodding center in the modern NBA, maybe with a better roster and a better coach it could work but I'm tired of trying the same experiment over and over and failing, a radical changeis needed, time to blow it up.

[JordanMars]

sheesh. Way too much overreaction to regular season basketball here like it means anything.

The key for the sixers is to stay fully healthy come playoff time. Obviously we are not at the level of Boston or Milwaukee, but we have shown that we can at the very least compete with both.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

I can only imagine the vibe on this forum if we had the same record as the Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, or any number of middling teams this year that coincidentally are also loaded with too much talent to have any excuse what so ever to be in that position.

The bottom line is we're having a great season. It just so happens that both Boston and Milwaukee are also having stellar years. There's no reason that I can see to tear it all down and rebuild. Those that want Rivers gone are not going to get their wish unless we have an epic collapse in the very first round of the playoffs. To some it might be worth it, but I'd rather see us advance regardless of how I feel about Doc.

I don't think there is a whole lot of time left with this roster either. Harden is still a very good player, but he's lost a step or two. We need to just enjoy Joel Embiid while we have him in his prime because when he falls off, he's going to crash hard. The end is near for Tobias Harris as well, and soon a decision will inevitably have to be made about Tyrese Maxey. It's going THAT fast.

I think we're towards the end of our run as a contending team. However, with all that said, I still feel like we could sneak into a Finals before this is all over. People keep mentioning luck and you definitely need a little bit of that to get in a position to win it all. Opponents misfortune is never something I root for, but I'm going to go ahead and say it...The teams we've lost to in the playoffs over the last few years have certainly benefited from ours. Yeah...I'm talking about injuries. My prediction is that things will not look as they do right now by the time the playoffs start. There's going to be some shifting, key players on ???random??? teams are going to call it a season because of an unfortunate injury...It happens every year. I just hope it's not us this year.

[Embiid P]

I can only imagine the vibe on this forum if we had the same record as the Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, or any number of middling teams this year that coincidentally are also loaded with too much talent to have any excuse what so ever to be in that position.

The bottom line is we're having a great season. It just so happens that both Boston and Milwaukee are also having stellar years. There's no reason that I can see to tear it all down and rebuild. Those that want Rivers gone are not going to get their wish unless we have an epic collapse in the very first round of the playoffs. To some it might be worth it, but I'd rather see us advance regardless of how I feel about Doc.

I don't think there is a whole lot of time left with this roster either. Harden is still a very good player, but he's lost a step or two. We need to just enjoy Joel Embiid while we have him in his prime because when he falls off, he's going to crash hard. The end is near for Tobias Harris as well, and soon a decision will inevitably have to be made about Tyrese Maxey. It's going THAT fast.

I think we're towards the end of our run as a contending team. However, with all that said, I still feel like we could sneak into a Finals before this is all over. People keep mentioning luck and you definitely need a little bit of that to get in a position to win it all. Opponents misfortune is never something I root for, but I'm going to go ahead and say it...The teams we've lost to in the playoffs over the last few years have certainly benefited from ours. Yeah...I'm talking about injuries. My prediction is that things will not look as they do right now by the time the playoffs start. There's going to be some shifting, key players on ???random??? teams are going to call it a season because of an unfortunate injury...It happens every year. I just hope it's not us this year.

I generally agree with what you are saying. However, with the exception of the Clippers, all of the teams you mentioned have won at least one title in the last 10-15 years thus a down year or even multiple years for those teams isn't a huge deal. This year for the Sixers will likely be year 40 (and 37 in my lifetime) without one.

[HardenGoat]

This team is missing a third player that can close games. Embiid and Harden can conceivably set the table to win games but when they get doubled at the end we really do need a third star level player that can benefit from that and put games away. You don’t tear down a team that is a contender, and that is what we have. Tobias and Maxey can get that third player. Even if we fall short this year you have to go all in next year. Morey is in that position and knows it. I would bet Harden takes a 2+1 max. He does fit perfectly with Embiid. The reason we are 3rd is because of those two. Build off them.

[Embiid P]

This team is missing a third player that can close games. Embiid and Harden can conceivably set the table to win games but when they get doubled at the end we really do need a third star level player that can benefit from that and put games away. You don’t tear down a team that is a contender, and that is what we have. Tobias and Maxey can get that third player. Even if we fall short this year you have to go all in next year. Morey is in that position and knows it. I would bet Harden takes a 2+1 max. He does fit perfectly with Embiid. The reason we are 3rd is because of those two. Build off them.

Honestly I think Maxey could be that third guy if we had a competent head coach who drew up the right plays for him at the end of games. Sadly with Doc, it's either Embiid ISO or Harden drive which gets predictable to defenses after a while.

The bigger problem with the Sixers isn't the lack of a closer IMO. It's a lack of depth namely at the PG and forward positions. How many times have we seen other teams make runs when Embiid goes to the bench?

If I trade Tobias, I'd prefer it to be to acquire more depth at those positions than a third star which will only make our depth worse.

[SixthStreet]

I'll maintain hope because A) I believe in this roster, especially if Harden sustains this level of play, and B) we will convincing defeat any team out of the West this year if we somehow navigate the East, Suns included.

[Mik317]

has the "big 3" formula worked since the Heatles?...of which had a guy who is in GOAT discussions and a guy who already won it all and a one of the best coaches in the league....and was in Miami so they got actually good ring chasers.

Someday people will realize just stacking talent alone isn't how you win. Bubble aside, the Lakers won because they had Bron and AD and a bunch of guys who played their roles to a T....haven't won since because they were chasing that 3rd star at the expense of those guys. The Warriors got off to a poor start because they let a lot of their role players walk. Basketball is a team sport and this franchise has been ignoring that a bit IMO.

Biid is great but he is also a big slow dude with injury concerns. Harden has been great lately...but he is also getting up there....this means that while they need to be better in big moments for sure...it also means the margin for error is very small and putting even more on them and this mythical 3rd guy doesn't seem like the move (not to mention I don't think this guy exists and is gettable for Maxey and Tobias; of which Tobias' contract is bad; Maxey doesn't make enough and we lack picks to sweeten the deal....its really not realistic IMO).

THis pairing needs a better scheme on both ends to assist their strengths and hide their flaws. They also need better players to do the same. I keep mentioning it but look at Giannis. Perenial playoff choker due to the wall strat...which didn't allow him to bum rush the rim and Bledsoe was a **** PG. Jrue is a good set up guy, can get his own shot, and is a great defender. Bropez stretches the floor and a protects the rim. Middleton works as a pseudo closer. They also have shooters on deck for Giannis to play off of. That is great team building. Its not perfect but that system works to all of Giannis' strengths and hides some of his weaknesses. Another thing is that Giannis only plays 32 mins a night and thus is well rested in comparison to other stars. and Giannis is better than Biid too....so its even more imparitive to build a better roster.

This does not absolve Biid in his role in our malaise either. He cannot be out there jogging up the court being sad about not winning awards and ****...he has to bring that energy he had against Jokic to every game (or atleast most of them). The fact that the team has been better when he sits out whole games is something....he needs to less selfish and focus more on the defensive side of the floor and rebounding IMO. He just has to be better....BUT the team building has been poor IMO and going for an even more top heavy roster is not the move IMO. We need to get younger and more athletic IMO and just deeper in general. We carry and play too many guys who are end of roster or 8-9h men types IMO.

[eyeatoma]

This team is missing a third player that can close games. Embiid and Harden can conceivably set the table to win games but when they get doubled at the end we really do need a third star level player that can benefit from that and put games away. You don’t tear down a team that is a contender, and that is what we have. Tobias and Maxey can get that third player. Even if we fall short this year you have to go all in next year. Morey is in that position and knows it. I would bet Harden takes a 2+1 max. He does fit perfectly with Embiid. The reason we are 3rd is because of those two. Build off them.

Although I love Maxey this might be the way. That being said, if you do the move you absolutely, positively must get rid of Doc, and get some defenders/shooters on this team. Thybulle and Isaiah Joe might have helped lol.

[Negrodamus]

I still think losing these games, while annoying, are a little irrelevant. We looked similarly disjointed last year and blew the doors off the Raptors until Embiid’s first injury plagued him. And that was with only a few months of Harden.

Now we’re a full year of our two stars playing together, currently healthy (knock on wood), and top ten in O and D. It sucks losing these close games, but I don’t think our team will sleepwalk through a playoff series like we do through some of these games. Could be wrong.