The Philadelphia 76ers’ Game 7 loss felt close to a fluke. Now it’s time to run it back.
After an odd regular season with ever-changing personnel, weird locker room reports and questions about the future, Philadelphia 76ers fans were treated to an exciting postseason run. Unfortunately it was cut short.
The Sixers lost to the Raptors in seven games, with Kawhi Leonard ending the conference semifinals with arguably the greatest shot in Toronto history. You know the story — tie game, contested shot, four bounces and bottoms. Toronto now has the honor of getting walloped by Milwaukee.
Philadelphia came up just short. A more reasonable bounce would have sent Game 7 to a very winnable overtime. The Sixers outplayed the Raptors for large chunks of that series and, at certain moments, felt like the superior team.
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In simple terms, the Sixers are good. Really good. It’s abundantly clear that the team, as presently constructed, can compete in the Eastern Conference. Brett Brown had several revelations over 12 postseason games and the locker room felt as strong as ever. Looking beyond the sting of defeat, it was a genuinely promising run.
The Sixers need to prioritize running it back. The roster needs upgrades around the edges — working the margins was never Bryan Colangelo’s strong suit — but the core won’t get any better. All five starters, if possible, need to return.
Philadelphia is on track to spend big this summer, which Josh Harris and ownership seem okay with. Elton Brand has the green light and he needs to take advantage. If the Sixers don’t lock up a competitive core this summer, there won’t be another chance in the coming seasons.
Right now, the Sixers are within their rights to offer Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris five-year, $190 million max contracts. There are valid concerns with giving both such large contracts, but the Sixers won’t have max money to spend once Ben Simmons‘ extension kicks in next summer.
Butler earned his right to a max contract in the playoffs, emerging as the Sixers’ second-best player and most important closer. Brown also opened up the playbook, running Butler as the backup point guard and using more pick-and-rolls, which played to Butler’s strengths. His role feels as strongly defined as ever.
Even with age concerns, there’s little argument against bringing Butler back. He’s a top-20 NBA player who brings a much-needed dynamic to the offense. Assuming Jimmy is willing to return for a full max, the Sixers should shell out the change.
Harris is less worthy, but the Sixers aren’t a destination for any major free agents this summer. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Khris Middleton and others are all projected to land elsewhere. The Sixers best use of their remaining cap space would be bringing back the borderline All-Star.
His postseason run was subpar, but Harris ranks among the lowest-usage stars in the NBA. He doesn’t need the ball to impact winning. Considering how often the Sixers’ other stars command attention, it’s valuable to have a fourth star who can thrive without consistent, force-fed touches.
As a whole, the Sixers’ new-look starting five ranked among the best five-man groups in the NBA. In the Toronto series, the Philadelphia starters had a +8.7 net rating. A better bench could push the Sixers from dangerous to borderline Eastern Conference favorites.
There are factors beyond raw talent that also shine a positive light on the Sixers’ title odds moving forward. Most competitive teams are defined by continuity and cohesiveness, as well as star-power. The Sixers were lacking in that department this season.
The Butler trade went down mid-November. Harris, Boban Marjanovic, James Ennis, Mike Scott and Jonathon Simmons were added at the trade deadline. Even Greg Monroe, a late-season addition, played legitimate minutes in the second round.
Brett Brown dealt with historic roster turnover, and things didn’t seem to click until late in the Brooklyn series. Once Brown further diversified the offense and placed a greater emphasis on Butler’s playmaking, the Philadelphia offense reached a different level. We also saw shades of the Sixers’ immense defensive potential in both series.
If the Sixers can bring Butler, Harris and a solid bench into training camp, the additional experience and practice could go a long way in assessing Philadelphia’s foremost weaknesses. One would expect a better regular and postseason in a theoretical Year Two of the Butler-Harris era.
Elton Brand should have no qualms about running it back. Spend the money, retain the core and work the margins. That alone could push the Sixers into NBA Finals contention. 2019-20 has the makings of the most exciting campaign in decades. It’s up to Jimmy, Tobias and the front office to will it into existence.