Expectations were inevitably going to rise with the Sixers winning 52 games last season and making it to the second round of the playoffs vs Boston, only to fall in 5 games. Granted, falling in 5 vs the dreaded rival Celtics was not easy to stomach, but the Sixers were actually much more competitive in that series than people remember. All games except game 1 pretty much went down to the wire, and had a possession or two gone differently down the stretch, the series could have gone much differently. But, it did not, the Sixers lost, and they deserved to lose. Their glaring flaws that plagued them throughout the 2017-18 regular season plagued them once again in the playoffs. Their lacking offensive players who can create their own shot. Ben Simmons' inability to shoot. No perimeter player to make a big shot in the 4th quarter. Robert Covington's streaky outside shooting. Their lack of athleticism. Their weaknesses were on full display for all to see. Remember, it had gotten so bad, that the Sixers relied on TJ McConnell to play significant minutes, as he was the only player the Sixers had who could remotely take Boston's defenders off the dribble and create offense for the role players.
So coming into the 2018-19 season, the Sixers had an unsuccessful summer of luring star players to Philadelphia. I was bummed, the lack of interest for this season compared to last season during the summer was apparent. Whether it was realistic or not, much like the Phillies quest to add Bryce Harper was going to be the only thing to jolt excitement back into the Phillies fan base, adding another star player to the Sixers was the only thing that was going to get the fans believing that this team had a chance to make a Finals run. Because the bar had already been set the season prior. No longer was this a team with no expectations and just enjoying the fun ride, and seeing where it ended. Now, the Sixers had to improve, and by improve, I mean advance deeper in the playoffs this time around. So when the Sixers started the season with basically the same roster as the season before, which proved to be insufficient in making a deep playoff run, fans weren't going to be conned. They knew the end of the story before even reading the novel.
However, something changed. On November 12th, new general manager Elton Brand pushed his chips into the center of the table and dealt two quality and important role players for disgruntled star wing Jimmy Butler. Brand said he knew the Sixers weren't good enough with the current roster and he wanted to be aggressive and add star talent. He did just that. Butler started off his Sixers tenure slow, however, the attention was taken off of his slow start because of some early game winning shots vs the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets. The Sixers finally had that perimeter player who could create his own shot and offense at the ends of games and be that closer the team lacked the season prior, especially in the playoffs. But as the season wore on, and Butler continued to display lack of aggressiveness, passing up wide open shots(some layups), deferring to inferior scorers, and not bringing the same defensive prowess he was known for, fans started to wonder. Is his age and workload finally getting to him? Or is he saving himself for the playoffs? The answer to that question still looms, but even as most people supported the trade, even the staunchest supporters were a little disappointed with the version of Jimmy Butler the Sixers were getting on a nightly basis.
The Sixers, as long as their starting 5 was healthy and on the court, continued to have success, and in the end that's all that matters, so fans pushed their Butler concerns to the back burner. Sure, the team had its flaws. The defense was notably worse, and their utter inability to defend quick and shifty guards haunted them all season. But on most nights, their overall talent level would win out in the end. I say most nights, because despite winning games and playing relatively well, they struggled against the Eastern Conference's elite. They were winless against the Bucks, Raptors, and Celtics, aside from one game where Toronto rested almost all of their starters in Philadelphia, and the Sixers beat wounded Raptors squad. This was concerning, because after all, what does your success matter if you can't defeat the teams who will be in your way come the playoffs? With expectations raised, the team will be defined by their success again the top teams in the east. Not middling teams or bottom feeders.
Fast forward to February, and Elton Brand makes another aggressive move. Trading away almost all of the Sixers remaining assets to acquire skilled scorer Tobias Harris. The expectations have been raised even more. On paper, they had the second most talented starting 5 in the East. The Sixers started right out of the gate looking tremendous, after playing a Nuggets team nip/tuck for 3 quarters, they pulled away in the 4th, blowing out one of the NBA's best teams in Philly for Harris' first game. The team looked great, the Sixers were Finals bound, right? Well, as things tend to happen, the team started to settle. Since the hot start, while the Sixers still remain successful(8-2) with their new starting 5, the flaws are still there and very apparent. The team still has not quite put it together like people envisioned. Jimmy Butler still hasn't found his niche within the Sixers offense. Sure, he will take over some games in the 4th quarter, but for many, most games in fact, he's just kind of "there" for 3 quarters, and in games with less notoriety, sometimes the entire game. Tobias Harris' numbers, like Butler's have dipped in several key areas since coming to the Sixers. Harris' FG%, 3 point FG% and his points per game have dropped. Now, of course his points per game was going to drop on a team with so many talented players. But the lack of efficiency both he and Butler have displayed with the team is disconcerting.
Because of this, the Sixers this season are just as much reliant on Joel Embiid was they were last season, if not more. The Sixers went on a sizeable winning streak to end last season, capped off by beating LeBron James and the Cavs, and blowing out the Bucks, two playoff teams without their best player. This season, you'd think they'd be better equipped to handle Joel missing games, yet the opposite has been true. Without Embiid, the Sixers often look like a lottery team, and just in the last few weeks alone, have failed to beat several lottery teams when he didn't dress. Elton Brand made these trades to up their talent level and give more offensive potency to a team that lacked it last postseason, but without Embiid they still struggle offensively. Butler and Harris have not stepped up as feature threats on the scoring end in his absence, and yet again, Embiid unfairly has to shoulder much more than his fair share of the load to get the team wins. The question is why are Harris and Butler struggling? Is it the inability to develop team chemistry with their limited time together? Is it a struggle for players who like having the ball in their hands adjusting to an offensive system that preaches ball movement? I think you can make a case for either. I do find it curious however, that both players have struggled similarly. It seems like both players comfort has actually lessened as their tenures with the Sixers have gone on, with Harris starting off in his first few games pulling the trigger from 3 point land, and now being much more hesitant to shoot, just like Butler has displayed since he arrived in Philly. It gives credence to the latter theory, though it could very well be a combination of both.
It isn't just Harris and Butler. Ben Simmons has made strides this season in several areas, like improving his finishing at the rim, and playing in the post off the ball. Unfortunately, he still has struggled mightily against the teams that know how to defend him. Namely, the Bucks, Celtics, and Raptors. Coincidentally, the 3 teams the Sixers will likely have to out-duel to reach the NBA Finals. Thankfully, aside from a recent slump, JJ Redick is having a very good offensive season, upping his scoring average and still being a reliable and deadly outside shooter and from the FT line.
So where does this leave the Sixers? With a lot of questions, for one. They have team that has proven to be successful and showed spotty flashes of dominance with their potent starting lineup, yet have lacked the consistency to put it all together for long stretches. They have star caliber players, who have not lived up to their billing consistently. And they still struggle against quick guards who can basically get to the paint as will against any defend the Sixers throw at them. A lot of talent, yet a lot of questions. I think the biggest question of all is one I touched upon earlier, which is have key players, especially someone like Jimmy Butler been biding their time(and energy) for the playoffs, to go all Super Saiyan on the Eastern Conference? Maybe. Sixers fans should hope so. Without the best of Butler and Harris, and Embiid left to burden almost all the load, I find it unlikely the Sixers make a deep playoff run. Though I ask myself, aside from championship-proven teams, how many teams off the top of my head do I recall just flipping a switch when the playoffs start and easily kick it into another gear? I honestly can't name many teams or players off the top of my head. I remember back in 2009 coming off a World Series MVP, Cole Hamels struggled all season. The prevailing sentiment at the time is that once the playoffs started, Cole Hamels would kick it into World Series MVP gear. It didn't happen. Another example staying close to home, the 2011 Phillies, the last Phillies team to make the postseason struggled at times to score runs for their aces. Their core star players were declining, and while they did have nights where they scored, much like the Sixers now do have nights where they look the part, the Phillies didn't do it consistently. Come game 5 in the NLDS, they were unable to score a single run at home for ace Roy Halladay, and thus ended the golden era of Phillies baseball.
The point is, it's not easy to "flip a switch" in sports. You typically look the way you do for a reason. Players generally give it their all from game to game, and minus few exceptions, of a player struggles or doesn't look right, it's because something isn't right. Either with him, the scheme, or both. Not because they are "saving themselves" for more important moments. The Sixers have 2 regular season games remaining, and come this weekend, we will finally get our answers to the many lingering questions. And these answers could make or break this core group, this coaching staff, and the immediate future that the organization wants to go in. For our sake, let's hope the best is to come.
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