The Philadelphia 76ers enjoyed a tremendous season where they finished as the top seed in a very competitive Eastern Conference. But, it all came crashing down when the Atlanta Hawks eliminated them in the conference semifinals on Sunday. The Sixers have been criticized heavily since, especially guard Ben Simmons.
Ahead of the trade deadline, Philly was rumored to make a move for Toronto Raptors veteran Kyle Lowry. However, he ultimately stayed put. The Sixers made a huge mistake not trading for Lowry because it could've been the difference between a title run and ultimately being knocked out far too early in the 2021 NBA playoffs.
First, Lowry plays the point. Where would Simmons play, you ask? Well, at 6 foot 10, he should frankly be playing one of the forward positions. His size and capabilities in the paint are more suited for the wings. The 24-year-old also doesn't score even nearly as much as a guard should, never mind his inability to shoot. Lowry could've run the backcourt alongside Seth Curry, who are both solid shooters. The Raptors vet brings a championship pedigree and ample experience to the table, which almost certainly would've been a huge benefit to the Sixers.
Lowry averaged 17.2 points and 7.3 assists in 2020/21 while shooting just under 40% from downtown. Adding another high-level facilitator to the fold in Philadelphia may have elevated the play of many other players throughout the roster like Danny Green, Tobias Harris, Furkan Korkmaz, and even MVP runner-up Joel Embiid. Imagine him being even better.
Allowing Simmons to change positions and thrive more as a big is a more logical idea for the Sixers. If Lowry was running the offense, the Aussie could use his physicality to get more buckets around the hoop rather than everyone criticizing him to shoot the rock. Obviously, he's going to be ripped apart because he is playing the one. That's what guards do. They shoot.
Lowry's contract was extremely hefty as he was owed well over $30 million this season. The Raps were also asking for a lot in return but to be honest, having another versatile offensive weapon to complement Embiid, Simmons, and Harris could've been the answer to actually making a title run.
It came to fruition that the Sixers opted to not trade for Lowry because they want to attract a bigger superstar to the team like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal, which is totally fair. Lowry is 35-years-old and only has so much time left in the league. But Philly needs to win now. This season was honestly one of their best chances to actually capturing a ring, especially with all the unfortunate injuries happening to key players in the NBA.
Ben Simmons is not a championship guard. Could he thrive in a different role? Absolutely. But Philadelphia needed another guy to initiate. Lowry was seemingly the best option out there and Daryl Morey chose not to make the move. It was clearly time for a change and to boot, Lowry is even from Philly.
Oh, what could've been. The Sixers dropped the ball on this one.
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