Three years ago, the Philadelphia 76ers were one unlucky bounce away from taking the eventual champions to overtime in Game 7. Kawhi Leonardās epic shot eventually led the Toronto Raptors to the next stage and ended Phillyās season.
The Sixers were onto something. They were strong on both ends of the floor and featured another hardnosed star besides Joel Embiid in Jimmy Butler. They didnāt re-sign him in the summer, and he walked away for free.
Philly hasnāt been able to find the same chemistry ever since. And regardless of Ben Simmonsā mental meltdowns, Embiidās MVP-caliber seasons, and James Hardenās arrival, the outcome is always the same.
NBA News: Joel Embiid Says James Harden Isnāt That Guy Anymore
Harden was a shell of himself throughout the whole season. Clearly, even the Sixers were disappointed by the player heās become now, with Embiid stating that heās just not āthat guyā anymore:
āI think obviously, Iām sure since we got him everybody expected Houston James Harden. But thatās not who he is anymore,ā Embiid said after the game.āHeās more of a playmaker. I thought, yeah at times he could have been, well all of us, could have been more aggressive. All of us, whether itās Tyrese, Tobias, or guys coming off the bench.ā
Embiid Wishes Sixers Wouldāve Kept Jimmy Butler
Butler embraced Embiid and told him how much he loved him and how proud he was of him: Embiid also looked back and affirmed that he still doesnāt know how the Sixers couldāve let Butler go:
āI still donāt know how we let him go,ā Embiid said. āLike I said, Iām happy for him. I wonāt sit here and say I didnāt wish he was my teammate. Still, donāt know how we let him go. I wish I could have gone to battle with him still. But it is what it is. Just got to keep building and keep trying to reach that goal.ā
The Sixers rathered keep Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris over Jimmy Butler, whoās en route to his second ECF in three seasons. Itās easy to talk now that itās all water under the bridge, but itās clear that they made a huge mistake.
