76ers Media Day 2019: Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Top Interviews, Videos
The Philadelphia 76ers season ended last year in heartbreak.
Kawhi Leonard's game-winning shot somehow bounced through the hoop in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and while Toronto Raptors went on to win the title, the Sixers had a summer to lick their wounds and regroup.
And as multiple players noted during Monday's media day, the Sixers are ready to move on from that disappointment and mount their own title push this season:
After an offseason of major moves, the Sixers come into the 2019-20 season with big expectations. About the only thing bigger than those expectations is the team's new starting lineup, with Al Horford and Josh Richardson joining Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris to form what could be the NBA's best starting unit this season.
Certainly, the defensive expectations are immense. Embiid is the league's best two-way center, while Horford has always been a defensive stalwart on the block. Richardson and Simmons are fantastic on-ball defenders, while Harris has the length to bother shooters.
The bigger questions may come on the offensive end. Creating chemistry may take some time. But as the Sixers embarked on Monday's media day, it was clear that everybody in the organization is excited about the team's upside this season.
"I feel like those guys last year were really close to taking that next step, and being able to come in and go to battle with these guys, and get to know them and build that relationship, it's something that really excites me," Horford told reporters, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic.
Everything starts with Embiid and Simmons, and namely, the two persistent questions surrounding them: Can Embiid stay healthy? Will this be the season Simmons starts hitting perimeter jumpers?
Embiid addressed his health on Monday:
Horford expressed excitement about getting to pair with Embiid after battling him during his time with the Boston Celtics in recent seasons:
As for Simmons, Harris said the point guard hit the gym hard this offseason:
Simmons also addressed the persistent interest in his jump shot and the work he put in over the summer to improve from the perimeter:
The Sixers will be a scary team if Simmons is a threat to shoot from three. Even the possibility of Simmons hitting the occasional three-pointer will allow the Sixers to space the floor more and should give Embiid more room to operate in the post.
And if Simmons has to be guarded out to the perimeter, it will make it even harder for defenders to slow down his marauding drives to the hoop. It's an exciting prospect for the Sixers and a scary one for the rest of the NBA.
Finally, it wouldn't be media day without a few players having a bit of fun and switching up the roles:
The Sixers will be hoping to have that much fun throughout the season, and it appears the team not only has the talent to win a lot of games on the court, but will be able to get along off it as well.
"The potential is amazing," Harris said, per Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com, "and not even necessarily as a basketball team on the floor, but off the floor."
The expectations couldn't be any bigger in Philly. Now it's time to see if the Sixers can shoulder them.
