76ers president Daryl Morey is fully confident in Doc Rivers leading the franchise going forward, despite a disappointing season-ending loss to the Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals Thursday.
While Morey blessed Rivers’s return as Philadelphia’s coach and Rivers echoed that the team’s “goals” have not changed, Morey shared that Thursday’s loss was not the position the franchise wanted to be in.
“We’re sick we’re here,” Morey told reporters. “We have big aspirations for the team; I know the fans do, too. … That’s why we do this. It’s tough to be here right now.”
But even in the loss, Morey and Rivers remain excited about the future of the franchise. “We’re gonna figure this out. … We feel like there’s a lot to build on,” Morey said.
As for the future of James Harden, who attempted only two shots in the second half against the Heat on Thursday, all signs point to him remaining in Philadelphia.
“The plan is to have him back,” Morey said. “That’s been the plan since the trade. Obviously, we have to work with his representation. … That’ll be between us to figure out.”
With Morey and Rivers on the same page, along with Harden’s plan to return to the franchise, the 76ers will take another chance of going after an NBA title with this core group.
However, to do so, Morey says it will require continued growth from Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid and “unlocking” the full throttle of what Harden can bring to the team. “We have our work cut out for us,” Morey said.
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