There have been seven different champions over the past seven years. No repeats. No dynasties. 

To put that into perspective, seven teams won a title between 2005 and 2018, while seven teams won a title between 1980 and 2004. 

It’s not just winning it all. Since 2019, 11 different teams have made the NBA Finals. Between 2002-2018, 12 teams made the NBA Finals.  

Everyone gets a turn. Well, not everyone. I cheer for the Sixers, after all.

For many, it won’t matter what Philadelphia does this week, or next as free agency begins on June 30. Anything short of moving on from Joel Embiid and Paul George will be met with skepticism. We all watched how Oklahoma City and Indiana, with their youth and athleticism, powered through, showcasing it’s a matter of maintaining health while playing extremely hard. 

How could anyone expect Embiid to stay healthy for two consecutive months? 

It’s a weird time for the Sixers. Embiid can be under contract until 2029, and George won’t be a free agent until 2028. If you didn’t remember, it’s 2025, which means they’re stuck. Maybe next summer, if George plays better, or Embiid looks right, there could be a market, but for right now, they will be Sixers. It’s silly to even entertain any trade at this juncture.

Like everyone else, I couldn’t believe Tyrese Haliburton went down in the first quarter of Game 7. The Pacers captured everyone’s attention this postseason in one of the more memorable runs we have ever seen. As Zach Lowe put it during his podcast the other day, Indiana gave other franchises hope in building a championship-level team without “a guy.” Now, Haliburton is a guy, but not in the traditional sense. The Sixers aren’t built like Indiana. They’re built like former champions of the past. Archaic. Three maximum contracts. Two of which as previously mentioned are essentially immovable. 

And still. 

You can’t help but look at the Bucks losing Damian Lillard, the Celtics losing Jayson Tatum, and then what transpired with the Pacers and wonder, if only the Sixers can get things right. 

Two things should help.

The first is a foregone conclusion. They will draft someone who can’t legally drink on Wednesday night. We know rookies aren’t good right away, but the upside of any player they pick at three, or with a slight trade back, might change the direction of this franchise, regardless of what happens with Embiid and George. So, yeah, it meant everything that they kept the pick during the May lottery. 

The second is more of a lesson. The Sixers learned it all season long as they trotted out Reggie Jackson and Kyle Lowry together. Indiana and Oklahoma City emphasized it this spring. Depth and youth matters! 

I’ll bring up Zach Lowe again. Before he was let go from ESPN (which deprived NBA fans the best analysis for much of this season), he expressed concern over the Sixers’ depth. Sure, the starters looked solid on paper, but, as we experienced right away, Embiid and George weren’t available and things grew ugly real fast. 

Kelly Oubre, Andre Drummond, and Eric Gordon will pick up their player options. That doesn’t mean they’ll automatically be on the roster as I am sure Daryl Morey will try to trade one, two, or perhaps all three of them. And rumors persist that Lowry will eventually return, which isn’t necessarily inspiring, but I will reserve judgement. The bottom line is simple: the Sixers need to have a better regular season plan, which means they need to be more athletic and more dynamic. 

They’re starting at a better place compared to last year. Jared McCain flashed true offensive potential. Justin Edwards and Adem Bona received valuable minutes. Quentin Grimes was downright awesome after Philly acquired him. Whether it’s V.J. Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson, Ace Bailey, or somehow, Dylan Harper, the Sixers will add someone who should at least have an opportunity to contribute this year.   

The Sixers remain a conundrum because they have to build this team somehow with and without Embiid in mind. Now, there isn’t a great center prospect available in this draft, so the Sixers have the luxury of masking their true belief in Embiid. We know Morey will be asked questions about how Embiid is progressing during his availability following Wednesday’s first round, and I’m sure it’ll be a hopeful yet generic update. It’s a tricky situation, for sure. Nobody will trust Embiid is healthy until he’s actually playing games at a higher level than last season. And even then, there is a half-glass empty approach to Embiid from now until the day he retires. It categorically sucks. I am sad for Embiid, I can’t possibly be frustrated with him. 

Unlike last year where only Tyrese Maxey, Embiid, and Ricky Council IV were certainly in the team’s plan before the draft, there are far fewer roster questions this year. There is, however, still plenty of change that can happen, and it all begins tomorrow night.