The NBA Conference Finals are currently going on, and the Philadelphia 76ers are sitting at home…again.
Philly, despite consistently being in the playoffs, has not managed to reach the conference finals since 2001. What makes this so shocking is that the 76ers have not been lacking talent, and the Eastern Conference has been the weaker conference in recent times.
This past season, the 76ers got knocked out in the first round to the New York Knicks in 6 games.
76ers center and last year’s MVP, Joel Embiid, has been one of the most dominant players in the NBA since coming into the league 10 years ago. The biggest issue for him has been his health.
The Philadelphia 76ers need to give Embiid more help down low so he doesn’t wear down in the regular season and into the playoffs.
76ers Need An Additional Center
The 76ers did not have much depth at the center position this season.
While Joel Embiid is one of the best players in the NBA (34.7 PPG, 11 REB, 5.6 AST per game), he has not been able to consistently stay healthy. Philly has known this since they drafted Embiid back in 2014. You can’t expect him to be available throughout the whole season.
The 76ers did a poor job of addressing this during the 2023-24 season. The 76ers rolled the dice with Mo Bamba as the backup center and it did not work out.
Bamba only averaged 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in limited action this season for Philly. Even during the weeks when Embiid was out with injury, Bamba was only getting on the floor for 16 minutes a game. Bamba also didn’t see the court for a second during the playoffs.
The 76ers need to upgrade at the center position behind Embiid this offseason.
Potential Targets
There are some very solid center options as unrestricted free agents this offseason. Philly will no doubt be heavily interested in these players.
Jonas Valanciunas and Isaiah Hartenstein are two of the top centers on the market.
Valanciunas is a very experienced center who I could see being a good compliment to Embiid. They could play on the court together with Embiid’s ability to stretch the floor out to the 3 point line. Valanciunas averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds for the New Orleans Pelicans this year.
Hartenstein made himself known during the Knicks playoff run. He’s a grinder and would be a great player to fill the minutes that Embiid isn’t on the floor for. Hartenstein averaged 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds this season for the New York Knicks.
Philadelphia 76ers Outlook
The Philadelphia 76ers window to compete in the Eastern Conference with this current core is not closed yet.
Embiid is still a superstar and is only 30 years old. 23 year old guard Tyrese Maxey started to bud into a star after averaging 26 PPG and 6.2 APG this past season. Philly has a clear cut number 1 and number 2 option. Now, they just have to stay healthy and address the issues around them.
I also think that they have the right coach in Nick Nurse. Nurse was the head coach of the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors, where coincidentally, they knocked out the 76ers en route to their franchise’s first title.
The Eastern Conference as of now has a loaded Boston team head and shoulders above everybody, but then the next 6-7 teams are fairly evenly matched. The 76ers have been in that 2nd category for 7 years, it’s time for them to take the next step in the 2024-25 season.
About the Author
Cory is an Oregon Duck alumni and has been following basketball closely for years; whether it be playing, watching, or attending live. Follow Cory on X @cory_pappas1 for more breaking stories and game previews.
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