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The Philadelphia 76ers lost another Game 7, this time against their rivals Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2023 NBA playoffs. The 76ers head into the offseason with plenty of questions once again, and there might finally be some big changes in the City of Brotherly Love.
2022-23 season recap
The 76ers, on the back of Joel Embiid’s maiden MVP season, landed the No. 3 seed in the playoffs and were intact on the health front. They swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, but Embiid suffered a knee injury ahead of the second round. Philadelphia managed to get a split in the first two games and Embiid did return, but ultimately this group couldn’t close out the series despite going up 3-2 heading into a Game 6 at home. With this series loss, the front office will have plenty of decisions to make regarding the roster.
2023 offseason priorities
Aside from the Game 7 debacle, the 76ers actually did make a lot of progress this season. Embiid stayed relatively healthy and won the MVP award, which means he can now finally worry more about a championship than proving he’s one of the best players in the league. James Harden has a player option and could opt out, with rumors of him wanting to go back to Houston and the Rockets. Harden leaving would be tough, but he does have a connection with Daryl Morey and likely would stay. Tobias Harris, who underwhelmed in the playoffs, is an expiring contract and will have some trade value.
The big questions will be surrounding head coach Doc Rivers. He’s now 6-10 in Game 7s, and has lost the last five Game 7s he’s coached in. Rivers has not made the conference finals with the 76ers, so there has clearly been a ceiling in terms of progress. It’s highly unlikely he comes back, so the 76ers will probably be in the market for a coach along with the Bucks, Raptors, Suns and Pistons.