It was a grueling seven-game series that ended in embarrassment for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers held a 3-2 the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, and they even led Game 6 heading into the fourth quarter. The team proceeded to lose that contest at home before bowing out in Game 7 after an ugly 24-point defeat.
Praise is due for Boston forward Jayson Tatum, who set a Game 7 record with 51 points, but the performance of Philadelphia superstars Joel Embiid and James Harden are under serious scrutiny.
Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, shot 5-of-18 in that decisive Game 7, while Harden was just 3-of-11. It was an uncharacteristic performance from the two, and they couldn't have chosen the worst possible time to do so.
To make matters worse, the Sixers don't have any picks in the 2023 NBA Draft or any available cap space. What they do have though, is a talented roster.
With that said, here's how the Sixers can improve and make a title push in 2024.
3. Move on from James Harden
Where do we start on the failed James Harden experiment? During the 2023 playoffs, the Sixers' offense was 9.7 points worse per 100 possessions and their defense was 12 points worse per 100 possessions when Harden played.
That is not a recipe for winning an NBA Title.
Tyrese Maxey is clearly set to take the reigns as the go-to backcourt scoring option in Philadelphia. Keeping Harden for another season only delays the inevitable and handicaps the team financially.
The Sixers are also above the salary cap by almost $60 million, preventing them from making any major offseason additions. Harden has a $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season
2. Upgrade the forward position
Neither PJ Tucker nor Tobias Harris offered the Sixers enough during the Celtics series. Both players were exposed defensively and they did not do enough on the other end of the floor to make up for their shortcomings.
The same held true during the regular season. Harris and Tucker were efficient scorers in their limited roles, but they both posted the worst defensive rating of their careers.
A solid solution here would be Sacramento Kings wing Harrison Barnes. Barnes is an unrestricted free agent who averaged 15.0 points per game for the upstart Kings this 2022-23 season. He is an upgrade offensively from the Sixers' current forward options, albeit a step back as a defender.
Another attractive candidate is Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson, who averaged a career-high 19.5 points per game this past campaign while rating as an above-average 3-point shooter and defender.
If Philadelphia wants more of a defensive upgrade, then a veteran guy like Jae Crowder is the way to go. At age 32, he will be a far more affordable option.
Trading Harris, whose $39 million salary in 2023-24 would be the second-highest on the team, opens up the cap space to make one of these moves.
1. Add a defensive, rebounding presence down low
The Sixers were one of the worst rebounding teams in the league this season and don't offer a real presence down low outside of Joel Embiid.
Against the Celtics, they won the rebounding margin just twice in the seven-game series. But more worryingly, Boston consistently attacked Embiid on the defensive end, and the reigning NBA MVP, without a suitable defensive replacement, chose to give up buckets rather than contest and get in foul trouble.
A guy like Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves is an athletic option down low, especially since he can provide defense and rebounding off the bench. His defensive rating of 110 was second-best on the team behind Rudy Gobert.
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