The Sixers Season Comes to an End, is all Hope is Lost?
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid bows his head during the second half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Philadelphia 76ers’ season has unfortunately come to an end as the Miami Heat defeated them in the second round. It was a rollercoaster of a series, but the Heat managed to come out on top. After 6 games, it was very clear that the Heat were the better team. Perhaps, if Joel Embiid played in the first 2 games then the outcome of the series could have been different. However, that is all speculation and we can now only look at the fact that, in the words of The Philly Sports Guy, our season is over.
The series loss to Miami is obviously very disappointing. That being said, when you look at the offseason, things aren’t all bad. Joel Embiid said in his press conference that James Harden isn’t the same player as he was in Houston and that he could’ve been more aggressive. This could give Harden some motivation next season as he posted a very interesting story on his Instagram. Harden was also backed up by his good friend, Patrick Beverley. These are two guys that we could potentially see on the Sixers roster next year, and it is more likely than not that Harden will return.
Outside of Harden, there are much bigger concerns for the Sixers this offseason, including getting a potential third star on the team. There has been a lot of speculation as to who this could be. Daryl Morey said that it would be a guy towards the end of their contract and there seem to be 3 players that Sixers fans are hoping for. Those three players are Bradley Beal, Zach LaVine, or Donovan Mitchell. Any of these three would help the Sixers, especially with a Tobias Harris contract dump. Many Sixers fans are thrilled with this idea, however, some surprisingly aren’t.
As said before, Patrick Beverley is someone that we could see in a Sixers uniform next season. Beverley, along with Donte Divencienzo, and Marcus Morris are all players that would help the Sixers bench immensely. For some Sixers fans, that’s the main concern. With a better bench, the Sixers could have gotten much further than the second round and that could become the priority. Additionally, if the Sixers were to acquire another star, James Harden would have to accept a lower contract for the benefit of the team. Not to say that it isn’t likely that we acquire a third star, but it may not be what’s best.
As most Sixers fans already know, Doc Rivers is returning next season. That gives us only so much room to work with but we have to stay positive. There are a lot of good things that can play out this offseason and we all have that to look forward to. Let’s give our Sixers one last clap as we officially head into the offseason!
