The Philadelphia 76ers (1-5) are a team that continuously suffers self-inflicted mistakes such as a wrong decision with a star or investing too much off the court.
The 76ers are a team that tries to stand out in an Eastern Conference, dominated by the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks. They are a team that builds highly efficient rosters and solid stars to get them 50-win seasons or near 50 wins, but never makes it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Since the 2017-2018 season, the 76ers have had great regular seasons, but don’t make it out of the second round of the playoffs.
This season, the 76ers are under heavy scrutiny for their mishandling of load management with center Joel Embiid and his fresh off-the-court issues. This is something that is causing fans and the organization to be short with general manager Daryl Morey.
All of this was discussed on Wednesday during ESPN’s First Take. Eventually, Stephen A. Smith dropped a bomb on the situation that led Morey out of the same position with the Houston Rockets.
Smith has made it known that Morey has been in the way of his team reaching success at a consistently high level. He made this clear during the handling of Embiiid this offseason and this short season, so far.
The concept of doing what it takes to win on the court is something that Morey hasn’t embraced. Smith gave an example of that in Morey’s final years in Houston on First Take.
“They’re not going to be happy that I revealed this, but I didn’t find this out from the parties involved so they are just have to get over it.
“One of the things that led to Tillman Fertitta (owner of the Rockets) wanting Darryl Morey out of Houston is that they would literally lose a playoff game or a series and Darrell Morey would walk up to him with the analytics and say ‘see, we actually won.’”
One clear example is the tenacious three-point shooting that Moorey and then head coach Mike D’Antonio implemented. In games six and seven of the 2018 Western Conference Finals, the Rockets would combine to shoot 22-of-83 from the three-point arc while James Harden would shoot 5-of-25 from the three-point arc. The Rockets were slammed for this approach, but Morey and D’Antonio still made tenacious deep shooting a part of their system.
Smith added: “You’re kidding me? He’s respected because of his analytics, and obviously knows the game of basketball. He hasn’t won, he hasn’t won a championship.”
One of the biggest problems with Morey is that he is an analytics general manager, who will create systems based solely on the main attributes of his stars. They are a team that pleases the players rather than coaches them that is why Morey was so embracive of getting former Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers.
Morey is a solid general manager when it comes to handling the salary cap and building the roster. He doesn’t know, however, how to win when that roster is assembled.
The 76ers have already had a tough start to the season as they haven’t seen the debut of Embiid, who is dealing with a knee injury and a three-game suspension. Guard/forward Paul George made his debut after hyperextending his knee in preseason, but it did not go well.
If Morey and the 76ers cannot get out of their own way again, it is going to lead to another disappointing postseason.
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