Nick Nurse and Embiid can do this.
Despite the mostly negative viewpoints being presented, the Sixers have two very important pieces of winning a championship. Nick Nurse has already proven himself to be in the same tier as Michael Malone and just needs the right players that will buy in. Coaching in the NBA may not matter as much as it does in other sports, but it certainly helps to have one of the best on the sidelines.
Nurse burst onto the scene in 2019 as he and the Toronto Raptors broke the hearts of Sixers fans as they went on to win the title. Granted, Kawhi Leonard was playing like the best player in the league at the time and The Warriors were missing two of their three best players, but Nurse has the distinction of being the only coach to have beaten the Durant led-Warriors teams in the postseason.
Nurse proved himself as an elite coach and at one point looked to be challenging Spoelstra as the best coach in the league. The few disappointing years that have followed should not make anyone think less of Nurse. He may burn guys out after a few years, but he is a creative tactician that brings the best out of his players early on. It is not like this franchise has a large championship window anyway.
Jokic has also disproven the view that a dominant center cannot win a championship in the modern era. Despite some disastrous moments, Embiid is still one of the most dominant players in the league and has had moments of individual success in the postseason brought down by his supporting cast. This series has also continued the historical trend of championship-level teams having an MVP or former MVP on them. Now that Joel has his MVP it’s time he focuses on what really matters: the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Sixers Podcast: Philadelphia 76ers free agency heats up + Crumbl cookies
Lucas Johnson and Jonathan Geib are joined by a very special guest on the podcast this week! The group discusses the Sixers' free agency and Crumbl cookies.