Sixers Had Best Offseason in NBA Insider’s Eyes

It didn’t take a basketball genius to figure out the Philadelphia 76ers didn’t have what it takes to win an NBA Championship in 2022. Going into the playoffs,
Sixers Had Best Offseason in NBA Insider’s Eyes
Sixers Had Best Offseason in NBA Insider’s Eyes /
In this story:

It didn’t take a basketball genius to figure out the Philadelphia 76ers didn’t have what it takes to win an NBA Championship in 2022. Going into the playoffs, the Sixers ranked fourth. They drew a first-round series against the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors.

In six games, the Sixers punched their ticket to the second round, a round they’ve previously struggled to get past. Two seasons ago, the first-seeded 76ers dropped their second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks in seven games.

During this past playoff run, the Sixers went in as the underdogs against the top-seeded Miami Heat. By Game 6, the Sixers trailed 3-2. A victory at home would keep the series alive and send Philly and Miami into a final Game 7. Unfortunately for Philly, a loss at home ended their season.

Everybody in the Sixers’ locker room knew that the 2021-2022 roster was good — but not good enough. Therefore, key changes were to be expected in the offseason.

Early offseason rumors hinted that Philly’s front office would be looking to make big moves, aka “star hunting.” But Daryl Morey and the front office took a different approach. Instead of looking to replace key players such as James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris, the front office looked to complement those guys with trades and through free agency.

On draft night, the Sixers used Danny Green and their first-round selection to land De’Anthony Melton from Memphis. When the free agency market opened up, the Sixers signed P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, and Trevelin Queen.

Some might say the Sixers could still be missing a piece or two as they embark on a possible title run, but The Athletic’s David Aldridge believes the Sixers had the best offseason based on their moves.

“The Sixers did strong work this offseason. Relationships matter and Harden going way below market value to give president of basketball operations Daryl Morey more maneuverability to add to the roster was a testament to the alliance the two have forged over the years. With Harden accepting a financial haircut, Morey added all manner of perimeter toughness and D with Tucker and Melton.

“Doc Rivers will have much better two-way options in 2022-’23 than he had last season. … The Sixers’ title hopes still rest on Harden’s physique and Embiid’s health, though. That doesn’t change. Nor does the fact that Philly really will miss Seth Curry in the years to come. But scared money doesn’t make money.”

As Kevin Durant rumors surface, the Sixers might not have completed their offseason moves. However, for the time being, it seems the roster is set to begin the 2022-2023 season in good hands.

On paper, the Sixers look improved. While we have yet to see this roster in action, the Sixers have garnered tons of praise for the moves the front office made over the last few months. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.


Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA