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Fansided

3 76ers Primed to Disappoint in 2023-24 Season

By Devon Platana

Apr 17, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) dribbles up court against the Brooklyn Nets during the third quarter in game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 17, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) dribbles up court against the Brooklyn Nets during the third quarter in game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the NBA Draft, free agency, and Summer League in the rearview mirror, Philadelphia 76ers fans are firmly focused on the 2023-24 season. The new calendar begins in less than a month, leaving time to tell if this is the year that the Sixers finally end a championship drought that turns 41 in 2024.

Even if the fanbase is as confident as ever, there are reasons to be pessimistic about the upcoming season. The roster is one year older and we still have no idea how or when the James Harden saga will conclude. Besides, the Eastern Conference will be even more competitive with Damian Lillard joining the Milwaukee Bucks.

The unclear future means that a handful of 76ers might fail to meet expectations during the upcoming campaign.

With that in mind, here are three Sixers primed to disappoint in the 2023-24 NBA season.

3 76ers Primed to Disappoint in 2023-24

1. Tobias Harris

Tobias Harris has earned the reputation of being one of the most overpaid NBA players today.

At the end of the day, Harris just isn’t worth the more than $39 million he’ll be making during the 2023-24 campaign. If he was back at his all-star level, he might be worth the cost, but it’s hard to justify that price tag when he only averaged 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while averaging 32.9 minutes over 74 games last season.

While it seems impossible to be even more disappointed in Harris’ play, there’s a chance that it could get worse.

The former 2011 first-rounder isn’t getting any younger, having turned 31 in July. Players’ production tends to drop off when they hit their 30s, which is bad news considering how Harris’ point averages have declined in each of the last five seasons as follows:

  • 2018-19: 20.0 PPG in 82 games
  • 2019-20: 19.6 PPG in 72 games
  • 2020-21: 19.5 PPG in 62 games
  • 2021-22: 17.2 PPG in 73 games
  • 2022-23: 14.7 PPG in 74 games

Even if you look into advanced stats to get a bigger pitcher, the 22.1 points he averaged per 100 possessions last season was still the worst mark of his career.

Given that he also only averaged 12.4 points on .486/.259/.800 splits during the second-round series that saw the 76ers eliminated by the Celtics in seven games, I don’t have much faith in Harris turning things around.