NBA 2018-19: Can Jimmy Butler really bring the Philadelphia 76ers back?
The 76'ers are currently on the path of self-destruction. For a team at 28-16 in the middle of the season they are gathering a lot of attention, but what is going on in Philadelphia?
Jimmy Butler faced the Timberwolves for the first time on Tuesday since his trade to the Philadelphia 76ers. While things may have seemed to change on the surface, the 76ers are on a long downward spiral, and that's not going to change unless the franchise changes its tactics altogether.
The 76ers are a mess right now. They have two top-twenty players on their team and seem to be wanting to create a big three. Unfortunately for them, the NBA seems to have moved away from that kind of set up.
Joel Embiid seems unhappy with his usage during the game and another great player Ben Simmons does not fit in with Joel Embiid. Further, Jimmy does not seem excited about anything about the team since his trade. This leaves the question, is Brett Brown doing the right thing?
It leaves the overall feeling that the Sixers, due to this new change are facing a small crisis in terms of their confidence. The team seems to be leaning towards media coverage till they can get their wins back on track, that is for the attention they demand. It is evident that the Sixers wanted a marquee star on the court, but despite the not too heavy price, it was Jimmy Butler the right choice.
Right now it just seems like the vibes that the team feels come strongly from the fan base. "Trust the Process" seems to be more of a great eraser for all the things the team did wrong than a rallying call.
Unfortunately, there is no way to know how long the players will continue to trust the process. The Jimmy Butler trade left out too very lovable players from the team. Further, if they don't start performing up to their standards, soon things will go more and more haywire.