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5 things that went wrong for Philadelphia 76ers in the 2020-21 NBA Season

The Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers were touted to be one of the biggest contenders for the NBA championship this season. Riding on MVP-calibre performances from Joel Embiid, The 76ers were unfortunately knocked out by the Atlanta Hawks after suffering multiple injury concerns.

The result was another playoff disappointment after some genuinely impressive showings throughout the season. In this article, we look at five things that went wrong for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2020-21 NBA season:

2020-21 NBA season: 5 things that went wrong for the Philadelphia 76ers

After years of consistent Playoff disappointments, the Philadelphia 76ers looked set for a deep playoff run and were looking like title contenders. However, a bad luck with injuries, lack of offensive production in the roster apart from Embiid, and an in-form Trae Young meant that the wait goes on, for Philadelphia 76ers’ fans.

#1 Simmons’ lack of offensive production

Perhaps the most obvious reason behind the Philadelphia 76ers’ inability to go past the Atlanta Hawks. Ben Simmons transformed into a primary defensive superstar and his offensive production was inconsistent at best.

There were only a few games in Joel Embiid’s absence through the regular season when Ben Simmons got going and proved his offensive talent.

Philadelphia 76ers v Atlanta Hawks - Game Three
Philadelphia 76ers v Atlanta Hawks - Game Three

His ability to finish at the rim and playmaking has never been in doubt, but Ben Simmons became an offensive passenger through much of the playoffs that directly impacted his team, especially in the absence of Joel Embiid.

While Simmons might as well not return for the 2021-22 NBA season, his inconsistent playoff performances and an offensively ineffective series against the Atlanta Hawks was one of the biggest reasons why the Philadelphia 76ers were knocked out.

#2 Joel Embiid’s injury troubles

Once Joel Embiid got injured late in the regular season, the alarm bells had begun to ring for the Philadelphia 76ers. Embiid will argue that he was unlucky and would have won the MVP award had it not been for the number of matches that he missed.

Regardless, the Philadelphia 76ers looked ordinary offensively in the absence of Joel Embiid and do not have a replacement who can come in and support the rest of the 76ers’ stars.

Despite some huge performances, Joel Embiid’s injury meant that the roster simply did not have enough firepower to outscore the Atlanta Hawks.

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