76ers Media Day: Everything you need to know
It's that time of the year Philadelphia fans! The 76ers are just a few weeks away from opening night, and it's time to lock in and win our first championship since 1983.
The morning started off with a Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey press conference, where they discussed everything that happened this offseason. Everyone participated in media day. Last season went a bit differently... P.J. Tucker went through an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee. They said he's already back on the court and is expected to participate in training camp when they head down to South Carolina. Doc Rivers believed that this is his best team since he's been in Philadelphia. Morey and Rivers both seemed very excited for this upcoming season as they said they were satisfied with all of their moves.
Next up was Joel Embiid and James Harden. One of the most lethal duos in the NBA. Joel didn't spend much time with Harden as James would've liked and he took that to the media. He joked and said Joel likes being by himself.
James Harden emphasized that his long term goal in Philadelphia was to win as many championships as possible. Harden was asked about what he went through during his injuries and Harden came out and said that he went through a very difficult time. Many dark moments for him but he is back and better then ever. Joel Embiid made sure to talk about how the Sixers were going to be the best defensive team in the NBA. He made sure he got that message through everyone's head as most people talked about it.
Next up was Georges Niang and Shake Milton. Critical role players that come off the bench for Philadelphia. Both seemed very satisfied about the new additions the Sixers made. Niang says that he is fully healthy now after he had some bruising in his knee last season. Shake Milton also dealt with many injuries last season. He said he was very frustrated with last season because of injuries and not being able to have an impact on the team. Georges Niang was asked about P.J. Tucker and he seemed very happy about the signing.
"It is going to be an atmosphere of growth." says Shake Milton. Everyone had the same idea, as it is going to be a very competitive training camp, and many are going to be competing for a rotational spot.
Danuel House Jr. was next up and he was asked why he decided to came to Philadelphia. He saw a great opportunity in Philly. He is a big fan of the coaching staff, saw a great opportunity and took advantage of that. He says that he will do whatever the team needs so they can win games. That is exactly what kind of mentality the Sixers need off the bench.
Tyrese Maxey, Isaiah Joe, and Paul Reed seem to have this brotherly connection. They have been in the gym all summer. "I want us to get 1% better everyday." Tyrese Maxey says. They made sure to emphasize that they do not care about personal achievements. They want to bring a championship to Philadelphia and the only way they can do that is by doing it together. Doc Rivers came out earlier and said they made Tyrese Maxey and the group leave the gym because they needed to focus more on recovery.
Tobias Harris had a different summer then everyone else. Harris has recently gotten married, and became a father to a puppy. He enjoyed his summer very much and it's not one to forget. As soon as all the celebrating was done, he got right to work in the gym. He says he put in a lot of hours conditioning, and getting ready for this season. A group of Sixers players met up in LA to show everyone what they've been working on, and get some 5 on 5 action. He talked about his struggled last season and how at one point he was shooting 29% from the 3-point line. He said the biggest adjustment he made was letting it fly and not worrying about it. With the recent addition of P.J. Tucker, it makes Harris slide back to the small forward spot. He said the 3 and 4 spot are interchangeable. It won't be much of an adjustment for him.
Matisse Thybulle said he worked on a lot of offensive things. A lot of shooting related work, and handling the ball in the open court. He emphasized how he needs to be better offensively. Him and his new teammate have meshed very well together, especially their chemistry. They competed for the Pac-12 defensive player of the year award (which Matisse won). That was brought up plenty of times during their interviews. Thybulle also jokes and says that he would like to make 100% of his shots this year.
De'Anthony Melton seemed excited to be a Sixer. He wasn't expecting a trade on draft night, but when it happened he was looking forward to it. "Both sides are happy with it." He talks about how Thybulle and him have a very similar game defensively and they can throw anything on the court that could be dangerous.
Montrezl Harrell says he had a good off-season. He worked on a lot of his weaknesses such as corner 3's and ball handling. When Harrell was asked if James Harden asked him to come to Philadelphia, he responded with "I don't know what you're talking about. That's tampering. I have no clue." He touched a bit on the rivalry with Joel Embiid. It's just on the court rivalry. It's the competitive nature. He says that he's glad he gets to share the floor with him.
Furkan Korkmaz had some nerve damage that affected him last year. It changed his mechanics and rhythm. He touched on his struggles, saying he had a lot of ups and downs. He says he's back and fully healthy. He's ready to contribute this year.
Adam Silver, cover your ears because this part is about to ruin the tampering investigation. P.J Tucker came out and said that him and James Harden were both planning to come to Philadelphia the year before, but obviously that didn't happen. Tucker is happy he doesn't have to go against Embiid anymore. He says that it made sense for him to come here. He wants to play with these guys and feels that this team has a great shot to win a championship this year.
That is everything you need to know from media day. We look forward to training camp (tomorrow), and the regular season opener (October 18). Thank you for tuning in, see you next time!