3 strengths of the Philadelphia 76ers that could be key to their success in the 2021-22 NBA season
The Philadelphia 76ers have struggled to assert any sort of dominance in the Eastern Conference. Although they finished as the top seed in the conference standings on occasion, they have failed to emerge as champions of the East during the postseason.
The last time the Philadelphia 76ers reached the NBA Finals was in 2001, where they lost to the LA Lakers in five games. Despite winning three championships in their early years, they have failed to find any success since the 1983 season.
The last time the remaining teams in the NBA playoffs won the championship:
Philadelphia 76ers - 1983
Milwaukee Bucks - 1971
Atlanta Hawks - 1958
Brooklyn Nets - Never
Los Angeles Clippers - Never
Utah Jazz - Never
Denver Nuggets - Never
Phoenix Suns - Never
Success, for the Philadelphia 76ers at this point would be a Conference Finals appearance. They've always been knocked out in the Conference Finals, so fans in Philly are starting to get frustrated.
On that note, here are three strengths of the Philadelphia 76ers that could be key for them to reach the Conference Finals in the 2021-22 NBA season:
#1 The Philadelphia 76ers have an experienced coach
Doc Rivers is renowned for his teams imploding in the playoffs, which has been a significant stain on his career as a coach. Nevertheless, he is a great coach who understands the nuances of the game and puts together competitive teams.
In the regular season, Rivers has a win percentage of .585, with his best run coming with the 2007-08 Boston Celtics (66-16). The playoffs have not exactly been kind to him, but he went all the way in 2008, leading the Celtics to a 4-2 win over the LA Lakers in the Finals.
Rivers has come a long way as a coach since winning the NBA Coach of the Year award in his rookie year in 2000. Although his teams have blown multiple 3-1 series leads over the years, Rivers undoubtedly has a winning formula in the regular season, which he needs to replicate in the postseason.
Doc Rivers- Coach OF The Year with the Orlando Magic
Brought a Championship to the city of Boston the 1st year the Big 3 was formed!
Took a Clipper team that had zero allstars and lost Blake, CP, DJ and JJ and took them to the playoffs in the West!
#putsomerespectonDocName
The Philadelphia 76ers were favorites to reach the Conference Finals in the 2021 NBA playoffs, but lost to the young Atlanta Hawks in seven games. Ben Simmons carried most of the blame due to his poor free-throw shooting and giving up an open dunk. But the team blew a 26-point lead in Game 5 to fall behind 2-3 in the series.
Even with recent failures, Rivers has put together a team that could compete in the 2021-22 NBA season. Uncertainty still surrounds Ben Simmons, so the Philadelphia 76ers might have to play the season without their All-Star guard.
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