Sixers driven by playoff letdown against Celtics
PHILADELPHIA – Brett Brown was not mincing words when he outlined the
76ers’ season goal.
“We want to play in the NBA Finals,” the coach declared.
The bar has been set high.
The Sixers are coming off a 52-win regular season in which they jumped to third in the Eastern Conference. They beat the Heat 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs before they were eliminated by the Celtics in Game 5 of the conference semifinals.
Finishing above .500 and making the playoffs for the first time since 2012 was an accomplishment for a team that had gone through a tumultuous rebuilding stage and won 10 games in the 2015-16 season.
This season, the 76ers think they are capable of more, so much more.
“We believe we could have played in the NBA Finals,” Brown said. “I understand the magnitude of that statement, but I stand by it and I own it. It is our goal to go play in an NBA Final and it is a respect of championship habits, it’s a respect of each other.”
Gone are the days of vying for the top pick in the draft lottery. The Sixers are a contender in an Eastern Conference that will have a much different playoff landscape after LeBron James’ departure from the Cavaliers. The East had gone through James for eight seasons. The window of opportunity is open for teams on the rise to emerge, such as the Sixers.
To move forward, the Sixers are remembering the past. Their 4-1 series elimination to the Celtics didn’t sit well with them. The Sixers were defeated by
16 points in Game 1 but were outscored by 10 points combined in the other three losses. They had a decisive Game 5 within reach and fell short by two points at TD Garden. Their disappointment lingered into the offseason.
“I watched every game from this past season and the playoffs included probably twice,” center Joel Embiid said. “Especially that last game, I watched it a lot. … I watched it all, and it was painful.”
The Sixers had maintained salarycap flexibility to be a major player in the free agency market. They also had the assets to present enticing packages for trades. The standout star targets went elsewhere, though. The Lakers signed James and the Raptors landed Kawhi Leonard from the Spurs.
The Sixers enhanced their roster by trading for Wilson Chandler from the Nuggets and Mike Muscala from the Hawks. These additions filled the gaps left by Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova, who departed in free agency. The Sixers also re-signed veterans JJ Redick and Amir Johnson, maintaining continuity and leadership on and off the floor.
All the while, the Sixers remained dedicated to the young pieces they had on the team. Embiid (22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.8 blocks) earned his first AllStar selection last season. Ben Simmons (15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists) won the 2018 rookie of the year award. A healthy Markelle Fultz is back after a summer of working on his shot following an injury-hampered rookie year. Brown started Fultz, the 2017 No. 1 pick, in the first preseason game.
“The immediate goals are to develop this young core,” newly appointed general manager Elton Brand said. “It was Joel’s first time in the playoffs. It was Ben’s first time in the playoffs. We talked about adding a third superstar; we might have that third superstar in this room right now ... and fourth. We have that much talent. They’re young, but we have that much talent.”
The Sixers already did a lot of things right last season. They ranked first in the NBA in rebounding (47.4), second in assists (27.1) and seventh in scoring (109.8 points). The one category in which they do not want to lead the league again: turnovers (15.9).
With the pieces in place, the work begins. Buying into the system. Paying attention to details. Limiting mistakes. Carefully studying game film to avoid repeating errors. After the Sixers’ playoff hopes ended last season, they have a better understanding that it takes more than talent to win a title.
“I think the mind-set is to build towards May and June,” Redick said. “Sort of have that macro approach to things and really look at big-picture stuff. Understanding we need to improve.”
The Sixers are on board as a unit. The returning players don’t want to feel the sting of another letdown. The new additions are hungry to help the Sixers improve.
“We have guys who can step up,” Simmons said. “Everybody’s going to play their roles. We have guys who can score, guys who can defend. I think when you put it all together, when everyone’s playing the right way, playing together, the sky’s the limit, and we know that. We have a great team, great coaches, and guys want to play together.”
They wouldn’t be chasing a championship this season if they didn’t think it was attainable.
“We’re not going to set a goal if we can’t reach it,” Simmons said.