The NBA has once again shown us that whoever invented that ‘Less is more’ thing was more right than a saint. Over the decades, the best league in the world has had multiple examples that it does not always work out to gather a lot of money for so little money. Two plus two is not four and by combining two players who average 30 points, they are not going to add 60 if they are together.
There are some failed experiments that quickly come to mind. The Rockets at the end of the millennium with Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Hakeem Olajuwon y Clyde Drexlerthe Lakers at the beginning of the century with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton y Karl Maloneor those from the beginning of the second decade with Steve Nash and Dwight Howard accompanying Pau Gasol and Kobe again.
The ‘process’ in which the Sixers were immersed for many years was over. Thanks to their several high draft picks, they were promised very happy in Philadelphia. Sooner or later, the results had to come. ‘Trust the process’. But all that came were disappointments. Fultz It has turned out to be a considerable mess, Ben Simmons Three quarters of the same, Jahlil Okafor He’s not even in the NBA anymore… Only Embiid was up to the task and it was decided to put the long term aside and choose to try everything almost desperately.
Only this option can explain the arrival of James Harden to the Sixers: a player of plenty of quality but who he forced his departure from the Rockets, he forced his departure from the Nets and he has forced his departure from the 76ers.
And now that he is gone, calm has arrived. As soon as he defeated the Celtics in the battle for first place in the Eastern Conference, Joel Embiid took a very direct hint while evaluating his Sixers.
“No one has an ego on this team. We got new kids, took them in and brought them up to speed. The boys want to play with each other. They want to be together. I think it helps a lot.” Embiid only needed to touch his beard or start shooting with his left to make it clear that the message was directed at James Harden, whose departure has led, directly or indirectly, to the Sixers being the fittest team in the NBA: six consecutive victories and with the second best balance in the competition.
Read also
2023-11-10 09:00:42
