Philadelphia 76ers: 3 reasons Daryl Morey can deliver a contender

The Philadelphia 76ers have arguably the top executive in basketball.

The Philadelphia 76ers appeared content with only slight tweaks to the front office up until last week. The additions of Peter Dinwiddie and Prosper Karangwa were viewed favorably, but at the end of the day, Elton Brand was still in charge. And all signs pointed to it staying that way.

Up until Wednesday, that is. On Wednesday, the Sixers shocked the basketball world by signing Daryl Morey to a five-year contract to oversee basketball operations. What only recently seemed like a pipe dream is now reality. Morey will take a crack at fixing Philadelphia’s litany of problems.

It can’t all fall on Morey’s shoulders — the players and coaches will have to do their part — but Morey’s arrival marks a seismic shift in fortune. Rather than a loose collaboration of wildly incompetent executives, the Sixers will instead run through arguably the most innovative front office mind in sports.

In 14 years with Houston, Morey was the second-winningest GM in the NBA. He founded the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, where the sport minds from around the country gather yearly, and he was responsible for the Rockets’ unearthing of James Harden. He brings a resume largely unmatched around the league.

Here’s why Morey can help the Sixers get back to contention in the East.