NBA Trade Rumors: Tyronn Lue or Mike D'Antoni - Who is a better fit for the Philadelphia 76ers?
After a disappointing end to their season, the Philadelphia 76ers are planning to rebuild this off-season. Their 2019-20 season ended with a loss in the NBA playoffs against fierce rivals Boston Celtics that led to head coach Brett Brown stepping down after seven years. According to multiple NBA trade rumors, the Philadelphia 76ers are pursuing Mike D'Antoni and Tyronn Lue to take over as their new head coach.
NBA Trade Rumors: Why Tyronn Lue could be a better option for the Philadelphia 76ers this off-season
Mike D'Antoni's teams have enjoyed considerable success in the NBA regular season, crossing the 60-win mark thrice - doing so twice with the 7 seconds or fewer Suns (Phoenix Suns) and once with the James Harden-led Houston Rockets. However, D'Antoni's teams have never reached the NBA finals, with the Rockets coming closest to achieving the same in 2018 before a loss to Golden State Warriors dented their ambitions.
Mike D'Antoni's teams play 'small ball' that requires quick ball movement and spacing, which happens to be the Philadelphia 76ers' biggest weakness and has been visible during the latter's recent NBA playoff struggles.
If the Philadelphia 76ers go for D'Antoni, the team will have to make major adjustments to their roster to accommodate his playing style. Joel Embiid is one of the slowest players in the league and operates exclusively in the post, something D'Antoni discourages. The other superstar, Ben Simmons, is a liability from the 3-point range.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Philadelphia 76ers to start major rebuild with a swoop for LA Clippers' Lou Williams this off-season.
On the other hand, the alternative to D'Antoni - Tyronn Lue - could be a perfect fit for the Philadelphia 76ers. Lue is currently an assistant coach for LA Clippers under Doc Rivers, with NBA trade rumors suggesting that he is expected to land a head coaching job before the commencement of the next NBA season.
Tyronn Lue won an NBA championship in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading the team to glory after being 3-1 down. That will be something the Philadelphia 76ers will be looking for as well as they aim to bring home the Larry O'Brien trophy.
Lue is also adept in managing stars, which means the Philadelphia 76ers can trust him with his handling of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
After going through the profiles of both coaches, we can conclude that Tyronn Lue will be a better appointment than D'Antoni for the Philadelphia 76ers, considering their current roster.
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