The Process has once again hit a snag.
For the sixth straight postseason, the Philadelphia 76ers failed to advance to the Conference Finals. And for the third time in the past five seasons, the team has lost in a Game 7 in the second round.
In 2019, it was the breathtaking Kawhi Leonard shot that broke their hearts. Two years later in 2021, they lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the game that will go down in infamy as the ending of Ben Simmons’ tenure in Philadelphia when he passed the ball instead of dunking it.
The latest setback this year after losing to the Boston Celtics in the East semifinals brought a different kind of heartache for Philly fans.
The Sixers had the season MVP in Joel Embiid. They had a former MVP in James Harden. They won Game 1 without Embiid and even had a 3-2 series edge with a chance to close at home. They seemingly had all the right tools to finally have a breakthrough and enter the next round. Instead, another season of promise ended in uncertainty.
One of the biggest soundbites after Game 7 was from Embiid when he said this:
“I can’t win alone. Me and James [Harden], we just can’t win alone. That’s why basketball is played 5-on-5.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 14, 2023
Joel Embiid after the Sixers’ Game 7 loss to the Celtics 👀pic.twitter.com/L3KB6geaUT
It’s truly an eyebrow-raising quote and people will debate about whether or not Embiid put his teammates under the bus. Even if you listen to the entire clip and not just get caught up in the caption, it still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth if you’re a Sixers fan. That’s because you want more accountability from your superstar. It’s one thing to say all the cliche stuff like “I will be better” but it’s hard to shake off his forgettable performance with Philadelphia’s season on the line.
He ended up with just 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting, alongside eight rebounds and two blocks. Granted that he’s still recovering from a knee injury, but you want your best player (and the guy who’s a back-to-back scoring champion) to empty the clip and fill the stats sheet. Plus, it didn’t look good when Jayson Tatum consistently cooked him on switches.
Harden, meanwhile, only mustered nine points on a 3-for-11 clip. The highs have been incredibly high for Harden, scoring 40 points twice in the series. Unfortunately, the lows have never been more glaring in the losses against the Celtics, especially for a guy who’s already been heavily criticized for his playoff shortcomings. The Sixers didn’t exactly need Houston James Harden for seven games and score 40 points but they could have settled for a normal one where he could just put up 20 points and not have five turnovers and 27 percent shooting in a Game 7. A “normal” James Harden would have sufficed.
The quote is magnified further because Philly’s role players came to play in Game 7. Tobias Harris had 19 points and five rebounds while Tyrese Maxey added 17 points. PJ Tucker even had three triples to end up with 11 points. Maybe it was Boston’s game plan to let the other guys score as long as they limit Harden and Embiid. There’s a reason why Tucker had those looks at the basket. Still, your two best players can’t be no-shows in the most important game of the season.
If you’re the Sixers, you can either panic or march on. The Harden-Embiid duo is still young. This was only their second playoff series together. But what if Harden decides to become a free agent? Where will that leave the Sixers? If he does choose to stay, can they keep him happy salary-wise and roster-wise? Harden already took a pay cut last year when Philadelphia signed PJ Tucker and Danuel House.
Looking at the rest of the team, key role players Georges Niang and Paul Reed are likely headed to free agency. Keeping them might prove too costly, especially if Harden decides to stay. Maxey, the team’s rising star, could be offered an extension to further solidify their future.
There will be a lot of moving pieces financially that the front office will consider but it comes down to Harden’s offseason decision. Plus, they’ll have to find a new coach, a new voice on the sidelines who can get them over the hump.
Embiid also did say they have an “unfinished job” and they had a legitimate chance to win this year. But again, the Process fell short. The championship window for Embiid is far from closed but you do have to wonder what’s next for him and the organization.
“Like someone said: It’s not a failure, it’s steps to success,” Embiid said, barely hiding his smile as he alluded to Giannis Antetokoumpo’s viral post-game comment.
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of steps the Sixers take while Embiid is still in his prime.
