Out of all franchises, the Philadelphia 76ers probably have the most boisterous edict to win a championship now. In parallel, team president Daryl Morey — the current architect of the club — certainly cannot afford to make the mandate look too loud of a rescript.
That’s because Morey, who is entering his fourth season at the helm for Philadelphia, stands on a similar footing with the franchise — famed and sterling yet still leaving much to be desired. The 76ers, despite having the makings of a team capable of winning the title, have the perception of a team incapable of flirting with it. By the same token, Morey’s innovative genius has only produced teams that have peaked at almost.
However, entering the 2023-24 season, Morey could easily find himself in a hot seat should the 76ers remain stuck in the second-round purgatory.
Daryl Morey will face the most pressure on the 76ers next season
Since veering away from the tedious process, the 76ers have made swift changes to their front office. But those changes haven’t really been able to catapult the franchise into even being within arm’s reach to the Larry O’Brien trophy. Be it with Elton Brand, Brett Brown, or now, Morey, Philadelphia has never even made it to the Conference Finals.
Results — of the tangible variant — are the ultimate tellers of whether another change should be done, considering the lack of stability for the franchise now and in recent years. Notwithstanding the Sixers’ resolution to the James Harden drama, Daryl Morey will have to make sure that he gets the 76ers to the promised land by maximizing all the team’s capacities to give them the best foundation possible to win a title.
Between Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, whoever the 76ers can obtain for Harden, and the team’s slew of veterans, the talent is there. And while the front office admittedly can only do so much at the end, the lack of tangible progress next season will be more than enough impetus for a title-desperate franchise like Philly to make another changing of the guards. And it has shown no reservation to making swift ones even if not necessarily needed.
The 76ers’ competition could be even stiffer next season, but nevertheless, with the franchise slowly approaching sensitive territory, Daryl Morey has no choice but to be the architect of an actual winner next season. Otherwise, he could be on his way out even if things are beyond his control.
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