It takes a team to win. A former coach shares his idea of the word.
Winning is hard to do. It's even harder when you’re playing at the highest level possible. For the Philadelphia 76ers, winning is the only solution to gain the notoriety they seek.
Winning a championship at the professional level gives a sense of fulfillment that many will never experience. This Philadelphia team was built to win now and take control of the NBA. One former NBA coach and player believes it takes more than assembling a roster to achieve that goal. Doc Rivers, an NBA champion head coach, thinks Philadelphia could have a chance due to their dedication to winning.
“One thing I’ve learned, anything about winning is that, if your whole group is not ready to win, I mean every single guy, you’re not winning," claimed Rivers.
Rivers knows a thing or two about winning, at least in his years in Boston. He won a championship in 2008 with the first Big Three in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. Understanding how to navigate a superstar team isn’t easy, and now Philadelphia will have the same obstacle to overcome.
This starting unit of the Philadelphia 76ers is committed to that very thing. Star guard Tyrese Maxey has already dealt with taking the backseat. Maxey plans to incorporate guard VJ Edgecombe to give the team a vested chance at winning while building his confidence. Wing forward Jaylen Brown knows how to handle the pressures of sharing the ball. The Boston Celtics were at their most dangerous when the ball was in motion. They weren’t the top three-point shooting team last year for nothing.
With all the championship DNA on the team, it’s going to be hard to see a way for the players to not co-exist. Head coach Nick Nurse has an identity that will prevent the team from ball hogging. The philosophy of open-minded communication and trusting in his players will do well with the 76ers.
To round things out, you have superstar LeBron James, who wants to play the backseat role and only be called upon when necessary. All of these players have the mindset Rivers was referring to. All it takes is one player to make it all fall apart. Trusting one another will be the key to doing all these things. Even when things aren’t going as planned, this team is going to have to believe in one another if they want to make this run count.
Soon there will be a time when someone new will have to step back and give another player their chance. If that starts to become the norm, a championship is well within reach.
