Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers have gotten off to a strong start to the 2023-24 NBA season. Although the team recently dropped two straight games, the Sixers preceded that rough patch by winning eight games in a row, and Embiid has looked just as dominant, if not more so, as he did in his MVP campaign a season ago.
That dominance, combined with the emergence of Tyrese Maxey as a breakthrough star, has led many to believe that the Sixers will be just fine despite the recent trade of James Harden; however, not everyone is so convinced.
Recently, NBA insider Brian Windhorst took to ESPN's NBA Today to discuss why he believes Philadelphia is still a piece away from truly being contenders for an NBA championship after the Sixers' recent loss to the Boston Celtics.
“In this game, it really accentuated that the Sixers are not done with this roster,” said Windhorst. “I know that Tyrese Maxey has played so well, and it's been easy just to say, ‘well, they've forgotten James Harden.' But they still are a playmaker and a piece down… I think the Sixers have still got to go out and get another guy who can be a playmaker and a ballhandler.”
One player who many will automatically speculate on is Chicago Bulls guard Zach Lavine, who has recently been named in several trade rumors and would certainly fit the bill as a secondary playmaker. However, a backcourt of Lavine and Maxey could diminish what has been a solid defensive rotation for the Sixers so far this year.
Follow Us
Subscribe
