NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia 76ers are treading water in the shallow end of the pool and the blame is falling at the feet of Daryl Morey. It comes with the territory when you’re the leader of an organization vying for a championship. But don’t throw all the blame his way.
The James Harden and Morey saga is nothing new. We’ve been there before and done that. But how is this Morey’s fault? And why can’t the Sixers win with Morey in the front office?
Arguments can and will be made regarding his time with the Houston Rockets. But what’s not mentioned is that Morey built the team to be contenders. The issue was, the players forgot to contend when it mattered most. During his time with the Rockets, they made 10 playoff appearances in his 13 seasons. The team would win 630+ games with Morey leading the way. But it was in the playoffs where they fell flat. Once again, how is that Morey’s fault?
Harden was an MVP candidate each season under Morey. They made “small ball” popular well before the Golden State Warriors did. Harden with Clint Capella was a hard situation and then you can throw in Russell Westbrook and the addition of Chris Paul and the Rockets were ready to win. But when the playoffs hit, either injuries at the wrong time or cold shooting signaled their doom. Morey was not on the court.
Now, it’s easy to look at a glass as half full, half empty after the fact. But that same “small ball” team did go on to top off 17 straight wins at one point. There was nothing but praise for Morey then. It was not his fault that Kevin McHale or Mike D’Antoni couldn’t keep the momentum going. And yet. Morey is to blame.
Has Daryl Morey Hurt The Philadelphia 76ers
Harden wanted out of Houston but he wanted out after Morey left. he was moved to Brooklyn and the same thing. He wanted out. On Morey’s side of things, he took the GM job with the Philadelphia 76ers and inherited a team in disarray. Bad contracts and players that did not fit.
The Tobias Harris situation is not his fault. The Ben Simmons situation was not his fault either. And this James Harden situation is not his fault. No one wants the contract of Harris. No one wanted Simmons either after he quit on his team. Harden is out here doing Harden things. He’s mad at Morey because he opted in for more money and said that Morey promised to trade him in a timely fashion.
Well, James handcuffed Morey and the 76ers from the start. No one put a gun to his head and told him to opt in. You could have walked away from Morey and been done with him. Harden was looking at the money. Harden is mad because a deal with the Clippers has not been made yet. Well, when you say there is a certain team you wish to go to, no other team is going to put in a bid.
The Clippers are not biting because they have all the leverage and truth behind told, they already have a PG in Westbrook who’s much cheaper. The Clippers are playing hardball and all Harden and fans on the outside looking in can do is point the finger at Daryl Morey.
What is Morey supposed to do? Give Harden away for pennies on the dollar while his team is still one of the best in the Eastern Conference? His job is to make the Philadelphia 76ers winners not make Harden a happy camper. He can’t just give Harden away for a 1st round pick. How does that help the remaining players on his team, either way, Morey looks like a loser.
During his time with Houston, the naysayers were giving their 2 cents saying that Harden needed defenders around him. So that’s what Daryl Morey did. The same issue with the 76ers. Joel Embiid and Harden need defenders around them. Morey provided both teams with that but what he did not count on was his superstars not showing up in the playoffs. How is that on him?
Yes, he may like guys like Trevor Ariza and PJ Tucker but those guys are pieces to a puzzle. And how many of them have been on winning teams? They bring a presence that others can’t add. The 76ers added the necessary pieces since he arrived. In the last two offseasons, he did a good job with the additions of D’Anthony Melton, Kelly Orbube Jr, and Patrick Beverley. All that he needs now is for his star players to play as if they actually want to win a title. The Philadelphia 76ers can win with Morey. The bigger question is, do the players want to win?
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