Story by
Can Mike Gansey and Jameer Nelson fix the Sixers’ biggest problem?
- Story by
- Can Mike Gansey and Jameer Nelson fix the Sixers’ biggest problem?
After starting last season with a mandate from Tyrese Maxey to set a daily standard in Philadelphia, the Sixers ended their season with a whimper in round two, forcing a regime change that landed Mike Gansey and Jameer Nelson at the top of the organization. As Bob Myers laid out on Monday, this group has to figure out exactly what it wants to be, because the failure to do so has left the 76ers in NBA no man's land.
"We've got to find an identity; we just don't have one," Myers said. "That's maybe a harsh thing to say, but look at the numbers. We were not elite offensively or defensively, and if you're going to win at the highest level, you've got to be great at something."
Advertisement
"To see what we are, we've got to be on the floor, right? You need to have a consistent product on the floor, and you find out maybe that's not good enough, or maybe it is. But we got to figure out what are we, what can we stand on as a team?"
There lies the problem for the new No. 1 and 2 decision-makers for the Sixers. Gansey and Nelson spoke with conviction on Monday, each describing an organization built on culture, character, and hard work. The vision for the franchise sounds nice enough, with two young avatars in Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe to carry out the message.
But for whatever else they offered, Gansey and Nelson did not sell the city on the idea of sweeping changes and big trades. If anything, they backed their core four of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Paul George, and Joel Embiid, and many of their answers had to circle back to the simple reality of keeping Embiid upright long enough to build something meaningful.
"We were 24-14 when Joel played, and obviously in the playoffs, coming back vs. Boston, we just got to rely on those four," Gansey said Monday. "Obviously, keep them on the floor, and then just build around them."
Advertisement
You'll be forgiven if tales of a healthy offseason and a fresh start next year don't have you making plans for the parade next June. The reality is that a better-managed year that Embiid deemed a success produced only 38 regular-season appearances and a series win so taxing that he was already spent before their second-round series began. There's nothing the new front office could say or promise to make people any less fearful about the franchise riding on Embiid's health, nor could Gansey do anything other than publicly back his guys until they're not his guys anymore.
Truthfully, the work Gansey and Nelson are doing right now is probably more important for years down the road, for when Edgecombe is ascending, and when Maxey is still firmly in his prime years as their lead guard. Insofar as there was a mission statement from Gansey and Nelson, Philadelphia's new leaders made clear that building a stronger culture was top of mind as they take over the front office.
"It's going to be a great environment in Philly. I'm big on having fountains, not drains, in the building," Gansey said on Monday. "I don't want people sucking out the life of the building. I want people to get in their car in the morning, drive to the facility, and be like, I get to see my family. We've got to have a fun environment, because everyone in this building, we see each other more than we do our own families."
"You have to have people in the building who want to be here," Nelson added. "That's where, to me, culture and environment start."
Advertisement
The new front office leaders hope to lead by example there. Nelson was delighted to talk about leading a team he grew up rooting for from Chester, long before he became a Philadelphia legend playing for St. Joe's. While Nelson's rise seems meteoric based on the titles he has carried over the years, those titles have often undersold his responsibility. Since being hired by Elton Brand years ago, Nelson has been given ample opportunity to balance responsibility across scouting, G-League, and big-club opportunities, earning his stripes along the way.
"I've always had the confidence to know who I am," Nelson said Monday. "You don't know what's happening tomorrow, something new is going to happen, you don't have to be ready, you have to be prepared. I look at it like that. Just be prepared for everything to figure things out and help the group make the right decision."
Gansey was drawn away from his native Ohio by a litany of factors — the talent on hand, the "cheat code" of having Bob Myers on speed dial, and, of course, the opportunity to be the head honcho — but keeping Nelson on in an elevated role is something he said was a sticking point in talks with Joshua Harris and Myers. Both men used the word alignment multiple times, stressing that there is a shared vision for the team and the future of Philadelphia basketball they'll craft together. For this organization, that hasn't always been a given, so it was a refreshing change on day one for the new-look front office.
But how will this new duo apply the "wants to be here" standard to the rest of the organization?
Advertisement
The Sixers will need to have hard conversations with free agents Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre, who need to want to play here and in the role the organization wants them in. Just a couple of months ago, Joel Embiid had a public spat with Daryl Morey and the team after they ruled him out for a game when he didn't show up for the team's morning shootaround. Culture, as many pointed out during the presser, is tough to establish when your power players are constantly in and out of the lineup, shifting the style of play in the process.
The first opportunity to begin reshaping the team comes on June 23rd, the night of the NBA Draft's first round. Gansey did little to tip his hand on draft philosophy, noting that they'd be after someone who was a combination of "best player available" and "fit with our roster" with their pick. Said differently, he described the basic job of running the NBA draft. So where they ultimately land on draft night is still a bit of a mystery, a fun or perhaps slightly terrifying prospect depending on what you think of Cleveland's recent draft history. And Myers noted that while Gansey ran the draft for the Cavs, his job looks a lot different in his new role with a new team.
"The work he's going to do and has been doing," Myers said, "is how does this group draft, right? How much do we use analytics here compared to what he came from? How much does he lean on those things? How much is it the scout's voice? How much does Nick Nurse get a voice? So it's really an understanding of, we did it this way in Cleveland, how do you guys do it?"
(Maybe the most noteworthy piece of team-building intel shared came from Myers, by the way, who specifically namedropped the "non-taxpayer mid-level exception" as a tool they'll use this summer. That's the bigger, roughly $15 million mechanism that also caps the Sixers at the first apron if they use it.)
Advertisement
All told, this is a group stressing the value of winning the day and incremental progress, taking one step at a time to move closer to their goal of a title. If Gansey and Nelson can build a team with a more resilient, hard-working identity, that may be enough to change some hearts and minds in the short-term. But if massive change is what it will take for you to get back on board with the Sixers, the new regime is not selling what you're buying, at least not yet.
