Tobias Harris said it best after the game 6 loss the Miami.
"“I think at times for our group, too many things just affected us as a whole. We drop our heads too much, our body language at times is crappy, and we needed that to be better throughout this series. And I think that hurt us in this series, our mental toughness for sure hurt us.”"
Toughness is something every good team needs to bring into the postseason, and this Sixers roster just did not. Look at the three best teams in the East right now. The Heat, Celtics, and Bucks all have an undeniable “F*** you” mentality that pushes them into a higher stratosphere. The Sixers are close to that level, but the team needs role players who can push each other and get in the mud with the other team. Daryl and Co. have brought in a few players that fit that mold, like Georges Niang, Danny Green, and Paul Reed, but this team needs more.
That said, here are two players the Sixers should look into acquiring.
Two role players the Sixers should target to add toughness
Brandon Clarke (PF, Memphis)
Anyone who’s watched basketball with me knows how obsessed I am with getting Brandon Clarke on the Sixers. The Sixers need a paint presence; someone who can defend big forwards and rebound. Rebounds were a massive issue in both the Toronto and Miami series.
Along with his in-game skills, his mentality is something the Sixers need. Clarke is a hustler and a dog on the boards, and he has an insatiable will to win. He’s gone up mentally against the likes of Draymond Green, and even though they lost, he put up a great fight all across the court.
On the Sixers, he would fill a hole that the team has sorely needed for a bit. He can play small-ball center, and he can move into the starting lineup next to Joel if need be. He would be a perfect fit if the Sixers can trade for him or preferably, sign him.
Grayson Allen (SG, Bucks)
What needs to be said about Grayson Allen? He would fit in Philly like he was born here. His spunk and his attitude fit that. Every NBA fan knows about the play against Alex Caruso where Allen became an enemy of every Bulls fan ever, and most know about his career at Duke and how he became one of the most hated college hoops players of this generation.
His attitude is something that this Sixers roster could use if he were to fill the backup guard role. He could be a thorn in the side of opposing guards and bigs on the defensive end and could add his shooting and slashing on offense. His play this postseason has been lackluster, but his hustle and determination have been at a 10 at all times.