Daryl Morey Says It's 'Championship or Bust' for 76ers Ahead of Lakers Game

The Philadelphia 76ers have started off the 2020-21 season with an Eastern Conference-best 12-6 record. 

That has plenty of people questioning if they are legitimate title contenders. For Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, the goal is always to win a ring, as he told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith ahead of Wednesday's matchup with the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers:

"I think we're pretty championship or bust, I have to say. Doc Rivers obviously has won a title. I haven't gotten there yet. Joel [Embiid] and Ben [Simmons] haven't gotten there yet. You go into every season hoping to win the title. Not a lot of teams have the chance. But we absolutely have a chance, and we're going to continue to work hard until we give ourselves the best chance possible. I think we have a very good chance."

The Sixers are a fascinating case study. Embiid appears to be an early MVP front-runner (27.7 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 1.4 BPG), and the Sixers are 12-2 when he plays. 

Tobias Harris has looked far more comfortable back in a Doc Rivers offense—his 51.8 field-goal percentage and 45.8 percent shooting from three are the highest marks he's posted during his three years in Philly—and Shake Milton has been a revelation off the bench (15.1 PPG). 

Offseason additions like Danny Green and Seth Curry have added much-needed floor-spacing around Embiid and Simmons, while Dwight Howard has given the team the best backup center it has had in the Embiid era. The Sixers are 9-0 when all five of their regular starters (Embiid, Simmons, Harris, Green and Curry) play. 

But there are also some question marks.

The Sixers haven't played a particularly difficult schedule thus far, for one. They're 0-4 in games Embiid has missed. And Simmons is having a disappointing season, at least on the offensive end. His 12.8 points and 8.8 field-goal attempts per game and 52.5 field-goal percentage are all career lows. His lack of aggression attacking the basket and looking for his own shot has been a concern. 

Yes, Simmons is a uniquely gifted and versatile defender who makes game-changing plays on that end. Yes, he's a brilliant passer averaging 7.9 assists per game who kills teams in transition. But Philly's upside will always be diminished if Simmons isn't a bigger factor in the team's half-court offense. A star player should take more than 10 shots per game, at the very least. 

There's a reason his name was floated in trade talks with the Houston Rockets before James Harden was ultimately moved to the Brooklyn Nets. 

If Simmons grows his offensive game, the Sixers are going to be a problem. Embiid is playing elite basketball, and the supporting cast has been solid.

Much of this team's championship aspirations hinge on Simmons. It's a tired talking point in Philly, but one that resonates nonetheless.