The 2025 NBA Playoffs have been as crazy as one could have ever expected — so much so that even Philadelphia 76ers fans, glued to their screens and the pixels of their makeshift arena views, are treated to a near nightly spectacle of unpredictable basketball and similarly unprecedented outcomes.
In reality, however, things are only fun when you come out as victors, and now, only two teams remain. The Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder will be duking it out for the championship, but not before clearing huge hurdles in their march to the biggest stage.
Indiana, which has a solid chance to win its first championship in franchise history, had to get past the New York Knicks for the right to represent the East in the Finals. But in doing so, they also managed to cut off a prominent part of the team — Tom Thibodeau.
76ers could reach a faster boiling point after shocking Tom Thibodeau firing
Thibodeau, who has been a significant part of the equation for the Knicks’ climb back to relevance, has just been axed by the franchise. This is a stunning development for a franchise that was so close to a Finals berth and also expected to remain in the loop for quite some time.
How does this affect the 76ers? Well, if a team that was two wins away from the Finals readily fired their coach like that, one can ony expect how strong of an ultimatum the 76ers would hand to Nick Nurse next season if he still cannot right the ship.
Philadelphia, if healthy, will be an undisputed favorite to return to the playoffs after a brief, injury-caused sabbatical this year. Having said that, a return to the postseason is far from the end goal for this franchise. The 76ers will definitely aim to make a deep playoff run, if not an outright Finals berth. That is how fast they could reach their tipping point next year.
Heck, even if the 76ers do manage to return to the playoffs, if Nurse fails to rectify some of his head-scratching tendencies from this season, Daryl Morey could be forced to seek a new face to usher in a new era of win-now, build-for-later approach for the front office.
The Philadelphia 76ers do not have a choice but to reel in huge success next season. Otherwise, there could be another drastic changing of the guards on the sidelines.