Watching the Sixers get bullied before going belly up in the final two games of the second round vs. the Miami Heat, Philadelphia fans could tell that their team was lacking energy, heart and competitive spirit. Their performance was lifeless and flaccid and not an embodiment of the overachieving effort fans saw in the first half of the season amid the Ben Simmons saga.
But where could they find more of that heart and intensity? We’ll get there.
Sure, Jimmy Butler is the true superstar they had in house but didn’t pursue keeping hard enough during the rocky “collaborative front office years.