Philadelphia 76ers: Way too early predictions for the 2020-21 season

First Finals appearance since Allen Iverson

Truth be told, the 76ers were my pick to make the 2019-20 Finals before the season started. I was overjoyed that Jimmy Butler was officially out of Philadelphia, and was certain that the addition of Al Horford and long-term investment into Tobias Harris was going to make them instant title contenders.

Boy, was I wrong…

Horford looked slow; much worse than his previous seasons in Boston. It started to actually look like father time was catching up to him, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they trade him before this season. Realistically, he’s still a viable bench option, and could even start for some teams looking for a big man. If the Golden State Warriors don’t draft James Wiseman (which I don’t know why they wouldn’t), a big man with solid vision and two-way presence like Horford could help a team like Golden State rebuild their title hopes.

What if Philly hangs onto him for one more run? After all, we were starting to see that Horford without Embiid on the floor was a much better situation for him than when they were both on the floor. So you fix that rotational issue, and then the biggest question that remains is health.

As I said, Embiid and Simmons have both missed a good portion of time in their careers. Expecting them to play a bulk of the minutes and literally carry this team to the finals as Allen Iverson did shouldn’t be the game plan. They’re different builds than most players in the NBA, and that’s what makes them special, so focusing on depth, and adding the key pieces necessary through the offseason will be what takes this team over the hump.

Although Rivers hasn’t had the best playoff history as of late, I feel there’s still a special aura for players to come and learn under him. He’s one of the wisest coaches the game has ever seen, and there’s no doubt that he makes contenders, even if they don’t get that coveted championship.

The main pieces are there to contend right now, and I feel like Rivers is going to take good care of Embiid and Simmons just like he did with Kawhi. If you can secure a Jerami Grant or Joe Harris; someone that isn’t going to break the bank, but will be a valuable free agent to acquire, then this team will without a doubt contribute as a full roster, allow their stars to rest, and make that finals run.

The main pieces are there, so now it’s time to build around it. As far as I’m concerned, this is a make or break year for the 76ers. What they do this next season will impact the future of their franchise and possibly force another rebuild should all go wrong again. Fortunately, I believe that this is the year where they break through and make some real noise for the first time in two decades.