The Philadelphia 76ers are starting to lose legitimate reasons to continue to actively seek wins this season. While they may tally a win here and there (heck, they just tallied one of the biggest upset wins in the NBA), the harsh reality stands. This team is much closer to playing for the ping-pong balls than cracking the playoff picture out East.
By the same vein, there is very little reason to believe that the franchise will content standing pat after the season ends. Aside from the expected changes they will most likley make on the margins during the offseason, if not before the trade deadline, something bigger could be on the horizons for this team.
The 76ers are far from neophytes when it comes to pulling the trigger on drastic moves. For better or for worse, this franchise has been the most trigger-happy when it comes to making changes in the personnel, whether on the roster or up top. In fact, some are already expecting the team to put the hammer down on some of their biggest names.
Bill Simmons expects the 76ers to move on from Daryl Morey or Nick Nurse
Bill Simmons, a longtime NBA insider, is of the belief that Philadelphia will most likely to move on from either Daryl Morey or Nick Nurse — the two most prominent decision-makers for the team.
Morey, the primary engine behind the team’s roster construction, will most definitely be on the hot seat following the present campaign. While most, if not all of his moves during free agency where initially met with wide acclaim, they have just not panned out. And the prevalent culture in the league of trying to forcefully pinpoint a fall guy could make the 76ers fall into the same, proverbial hole.
On the flip side, Nurse has more evidence going against him. His staying power in Philly could now be less firm than expected, especially in account of his many questionable decisions this season from puzzling decision with his rotations to his sheer refusal to play certain guys who deserve to see the hardwood.
It could be pretty reactionary for the 76ers to take this route and move away from either Morey or Nurse, but given the norms in today’s league, it would — and should — not surprise anyone if this pushes through.
After all, the Philadelphia 76ers have not shown anything this season to warrant keeping the sae boat.