Daily News | Six offseason questions facing the Sixers, including Doc Rivers’ fate, James Harden’s contract and more
The Sixers’ coach is correct in that the embarrassing finale diminishes, at least externally, what they had accomplished during a successful regular season. They navigated early-season injuries to standout guards James Harden and Tyrese Maxey — and an ongoing foot injury and playoff knee sprain to MVP center Joel Embiid. Their 54 regular-season wins were the most since 2000-01.
But Rivers could not get the Sixers out of the second round, either. That added to his reputation for faltering in the playoffs, particularly in close-out games. He is now 17-33 in such situations, and 6-10 in Game 7s, after the Sixers surrendered their 3-2 lead to the Celtics. When asked after Sunday’s game about his willingness to sacrifice salary and role to chase a championship this season, a frustrated Harden said, “We’re [losing] in the second round. It’s no different.” So it’s reasonable to expect Harden will want significant money after taking a pay cut to leave room for the Sixers to sign P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr.
His near-max contract does not reflect that fourth-option role, and has long made him the subject of outside criticism. It’s also made him extremely difficult to trade. Yet he will finally be on an expiring deal entering this season, which could unearth some additional suitors.
The next step for Maxey is getting into the All-Star conversation, and rounding out his game. Though his 6-foot-2 frame will always be a disadvantage on defense, he still needs to improve his awareness and positioning on that end of the floor. He also wants to improve as a playmaker and in shot creation deep in the clock, which the Sixers may need more of if Harden leaves.
Montrezl Harrell, the reserve center former Sixth Man of the Year who slipped out of the rotation, and House, an athletic wing who became a surprise boost in Game 5 of the Celtics series, also have player options for next season.Embiid’s “can’t win alone” comment — a phrase he utters regularly while describing learning to trust his teammates and developing as a playmaker and leader — drew attention late Sunday.
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