The Philadelphia 76ers are once again in a mess as they have several off-season issues. After creating trouble in Brooklyn, star point guard James Harden is involved in another trade saga in Philadelphia. Therefore former NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins expressed his concerns about the franchise turning into a reality show.
For the last five seasons, the Sixers have seen several roster changes and have been in rebuilding for the majority. They finally brought Harden to solidify their chances of contending for the title but it massively backfired on them.
From having players like Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons to acquiring the services of Harden in recent years, the Sixers squad is always changing. Last season witness some different changes and this offseason there are different developments happening with Harden trying to force a move away from Philadelphia.
After opting into his $35.6 million contract, James Harden requested a trade from the team. While this does not come as a shock for the franchise after his below-par performances for the team. But the lack of interest from the trade market for the NBA 2017-18 season MVP is baffling and majorly concerning for both parties.
In all of this, Harden posted a cryptic message on Instagram while Sixers President clearly stated that they will only trade Harden if they get a brilliant package for him. Looking at the current trade market that looks like a very tough thing to achieve at least right now as there’s not much interest for him.
Therefore Perkins shares his thoughts on the entire matter as he believes that the Sixers are less of an NBA franchise and more of a reality show. Mallika Andrews asked Perkins whether the upcoming season will be a make-or-break one for the Sixers. He replied, “Yes. I mean, look, it’s almost to the point where you had the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” – It’s almost like this is the “Real Men of Philadelphia 76ers”. Because every single year this is the real reality show.”
Perkins believes that given all that is happening in and around the franchise, their superstar talisman Joel Embiid may soon grow tired and when he does, that will be the make-or-break season for the Sixers. “It’s nothing but non-stop drama and less about basketball when it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers. If I’m Joel Embiid, at what point do I grow tired? After this year, he should be tired and I believe that this is a make-or-break season,” Perkins added.
It is positive feedback from Perkins for the Sixers who simply can’t go changing their roster every silly season. With Nick Nurse, they have a good new coach and with players like Embiid and a key development figure in Tyrese Maxey, they do have a good roster. Patrick Beverley will also have a massive influence on this team.
But they still need to act fast on a lot of issues with the Harden trade being their priority. Once all of that gets sorted out, then they can think about going deep into the playoffs for the upcoming NBA season.
