The Philadelphia 76ers had a disappointing run in the Orlando bubble, and they’ve got no one but themselves to blame. The Sixers came out of the seeding games with a 50% record, but were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. Following the humiliation, GM Elton Brand is optimistic that the team can bounce back next year.
Of course, the team will look to come back stronger next season. A first-round sweep paints an agonizing picture for the fans and the players. However, as a team, nobody will want to give in after a loss. Likewise, former Sixers player and current general manager Elton Brand is confident about the team returning hard and strong.
In his recent media availability, Brand started off with a solid statement to inspire the fans. “We owe it, “I owe it to these fans,” he said, as per Keith Pompey of The Philadephia Inquirer. “I owe it to this city to deliver on our goals.”
“And we can get over this hump,” he continued. “It’s time to get better, and that time starts now.” Brand is not afraid to put forth the fact that the Sixers need to improve. The front office was quick to fire long time head coach Brett Brown after the sweep at the hands of Celtics.
However, Elton Brand remains confident about the pairing of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Though Simmons did not play the whole series, there were doubts if this duo should stick together any longer. “I’m not looking to trade Ben or Joel,” Brand said. “I’m looking to complement them better.”
What went wrong for the Philadelphia 76ers in the bubble?
When the teams arrived at the bubble, the 76ers were the ones that grabbed the most attention. They had a very talented lineup, and Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid were expected to fire this time around. Unfortunately, Simmons badly injured his knee which took him out indefinitely.
This is where it all collapsed for the Sixers. Their star point-forward could only play three seeding games in the bubble. As a result, the team lacked a quality player to back him up and take on the responsibility.
Without Simmons to compliment him, Joel Embiid could not come day in and day out and put up high scoring games. As a matter of fact, Embiid averaged 30.0 points and 12.2 rebounds in the first round, but the team required more.
“If” Simmons had been on the court fit and healthy, we just might have seen a more competitive first round. Tobias Harris could not deliver during crunch moments which made the team more vulnerable to defeat.
It has not been smooth sailing for Joel Embiid in recent years. A gut-wrenching loss in the 2019 postseason followed by a humiliating sweep in the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs. This should just be the fuel to the fire in his mind. We are really hoping for Philly to come back with a bang in the 2019/20 season!
The post “I Owe It to This City”: Philadelphia 76ers’ GM Makes a Promise To Fans After NBA Playoffs Loss appeared first on EssentiallySports.
from EssentiallySports https://www.essentiallysports.com/nba-news-i-owe-it-to-this-city-philadelphia-76ers-gm-makes-a-promise-to-fans-after-nba-playoffs-snub/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nba-news-i-owe-it-to-this-city-philadelphia-76ers-gm-makes-a-promise-to-fans-after-nba-playoffs-snub
0 Comments