On the surface, the Philadelphia 76ers are having a pretty successful season. With an MVP-level season from Joel Embiid and the mid-season acquisition of James Harden, Philly is looking like a dangerous contender at the end of the season. Some fans even call them the favorites to win the Eastern Conference.

However, behind the scenes, trouble could be brewing in Philadelphia. In one of their podcast episodes, Wosny Lambre of The Group Chat podcast details an encounter with someone close to the team who said some damning things about the attitude around the team. (via Reddit)

“I'm hearing like, guy are not feeling Doc [Rivers]… Sixers are in LA last week… and I run into somebody close to the team. I'm like, ‘Sorry, but I can't pick you guys to the Finals this year.' And his response kinda raised my eyebrows. He said, ‘Neither would I.'”

That's not a good look for the Sixers. They are undeniably one of the most talented teams in the league, even back when they had Ben Simmons on their roster. However, time and time again, they would fall short in the playoffs. The closest they have ever gotten was in 2019, when a lucky bounce from Kawhi Leonard ended their campaign in the second round.

Many fans were hoping that Doc Rivers would be the guy to lead their team to the promised land last season. And for a majority of the regular season, they looked like world-beaters! In the second round of the 2022 playoffs, they held a commanding series lead over the Atlanta Hawks. However, in classic Rivers fashion, the team squandered their advantage game after game and were upset by the Hawks.

After that series, fans pointed at Simmons for being the problem. However, there was also a significant portion of the fanbase that thought Rivers mismanaged that series. This season is Rivers' opportunity to shed his “choker” tag and lead the Sixers to the Finals. However, if these rumors are to be believed, he might be losing his players faster than you can say “postseason”. His veiled comments about Harden after a loss to the Pistons only serve as fuel to these flames.