Staff
After Wednesday night’s abysmal loss in Chicago, the Philadelphia 76ers and their fans are probably not feeling very good right about now. Of course, blowing a 10-point lead late in the fourth quarter, Mike Scott blowing a switch and the inability to at least get a good chance at winning the game with .5 seconds – twice – will often lead to bad feelings.
It’s not the first time the Sixers have lost in this fashion and it probably won’t be the last. This season, we’ve seen that all-too-familiar ending in games against superior and inferior opponents. The most maddening ones have come against the inferior ones.
Be sure to stay up to date with daily game odds via Sports Betting Dime. As the NBA playoffs close in, the favorites are becoming more firm week to week. I think the Sixers certainly have the talent to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, especially with a healthy Joel Embiid in the lineup. Yes, Embiid missed his seventh straight game Wednesday night. Yes, the Sixers possess enough talent to win games against the Bulls of the league without Embiid.
So, can they win in the playoffs if Embiid has to miss a game or two? They should be able to, especially in the first round at the very least. But losses like Wednesday night in Chicago have happened far too often this season. Sure, give head coach Brett Brown the benefit of the doubt. New faces and new schemes always take time to adjust. And the Sixers are far from the only good team in the NBA to have a string of bad losses this season. The Boston Celtics have many. Hell, the Golden State Warriors have even had a few bad losses this season. It happens. It’s the NBA. But if the Sixers really want to take that next step to be a contender, these are games they need to win to help better serve them in playoff scenarios.
It’s certainly not the end of the world. But it’s enough to frustrate Sixers fans and deservedly so. No, Brett Brown shouldn’t be fired this season. But he absolutely be held to a higher standard than many have held him to just because he was the head coach in Philly when the Sixers only amassed 10 wins in a season. And the stars around him should also be held to a higher standard. They’re a very talented group. The time to gel is now.
Follow Philly Influencer on Twitter (@PHL_Influencer), Facebook and Instagram.