The Philadelphia 76ers had a disappointing run in the Orlando Bubble, and they’ve got no one but themselves to blame. The Sixers came out of the seeding games with a 50% record, but were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the Playoffs. Despite the humiliation, GM Elton Brand is optimistic that the team can bounce back next year. 

In his recent media availability, Brand started off with a solid statement to inspire the fans. “We owe it, I owe it to these fans,” he said, as per Keith Pompey of The Philadephia Inquirer. “I owe it to this city to deliver on our goals.”

“And we can get over this hump,” he continued. “It’s time to get better, and that time starts now.” Brand is not afraid to put forth the fact that the Sixers need to improve. Likewise, the front office was quick to fire long time head coach Brett Brown after the sweep at the hands of Celtics.

However, Brand remains confident about the pairing of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. As Simmons did not play the whole series, there were doubts if this duo should stick together any longer. “I’m not looking to trade Ben or Joel,” Brand said. “I’m looking to complement them better.” 

What went wrong for the Philadelphia 76ers in the Bubble? 

When the teams arrived at the Bubble, the 76ers were the ones that grabbed the most attention. They had a very talented lineup, and Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid were expected to fire this time around. Unfortunately, Simmons injured his knee, which took him out indefinitely. 

His injury started the collapse for the Sixers. Their star point-forward could only play three seeding games in the Bubble.

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Without Simmons to compliment him, Joel Embiid could not come day in and day out and put up high scoring games. As a matter of fact, Embiid averaged 30.0 points and 12.2 rebounds in the first round, but the team required more. 

If Simmons had been on the court fit and healthy, we just might have seen a more competitive first round. Moreover, Tobias Harris could not deliver during crunch moments, which made the team more vulnerable to defeat. 

It has not been smooth sailing for Joel Embiid in recent years. He faced a gut-wrenching loss in the 2019 postseason, followed by a humiliating sweep in the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

This should just be the fuel to the fire in his mind. Hopefully, Philly comes back with a bang in the 2019/20 season!