It isn't often that the Sixers steal the spotlight from their neighbor across the street.
On Thursday, however, the city was in full Sixers mode. The arrival of James Harden signaled the Sixers arrival as legitimate title contenders, a move that was made with the present, not the future, in mind. After years of having the longest view in the room, the Sixers are all in. The metaphorical plane has landed.
It is an attitude the Eagles should have in mind as they navigate a crucial offseason.
Armed with three-first round picks and plenty of cap space, it would be easy for the Eagles to focus on the future instead of trying to win now. It would be, to an extent, an understandable decision.
It would be just as easy, however, to use their treasure chest of assets to go for it in 2022.
Trade for Russell Wilson. Trade for Calvin Ridley. Sign big-time defensive players in free agency, giving them small cap hits this year and big ones in the future that can be taken care of later on. Bring in veteran players to compliment the solid young core of play makers.
Some will say that is a reckless decision. In reality, how quickly the Eagles' last window closed should be a reminder to the Eagles of the value in trying to pry the window open as much as they can each season, focusing on trying to win now instead of worrying about the future.
In 2017 the Eagles had their franchise quarterback. Carson Wentz was on his way to winning MVP. The discussion in the city was that each roster move had to be made with the next 10 years in mind — because the Eagles had an elite quarterback that would be leading them for the next 10 years.
Those 10 years never happened. The Eagles didn't even get three years out of Wentz after 2017, let alone five or 10. Injuries certainly played a role in Wentz's decline, but seeing Wentz go from a can't-miss, MVP quarterback to one of the worst in the league and then eventually off the team is a reminder of how quickly life changes in the NFL.
The Cincinnati Bengals won four games in 2020. They are now in the Super Bowl pretty much because of one reason -- they got an elite quarterback. The Los Angeles Rams are pretty much sitting out the draft for the foreseeable future and had one won playoff game the last two seasons. They are now favored to win the Super Bowl. Each team got their elite quarterback a different way, but the result is the same -- playing in the Super Bowl.
Even the Eagles this year are an example of how quickly things change. They were expected to be one of the worst teams in the league. Instead they almost won double-digit games. With a few more veteran pieces, things could have been even better.
The reality is that having the longest view room in doesn't really work in the NFL. The great teams are great because they get great players. It doesn't matter how you get them. The Chiefs happened to draft Patrick Mahomes. The Rams traded for Matthew Stafford. By Monday they could have the same number of Super Bowls.
In an ideal world, the Eagles would draft three Pro-Bowl players in the first round. Jalen Hurts would become an elite quarterback. Josh Sweat would turn into a double-digit sack pass rusher.
The Eagles can take a chance on that happening. They could also decide to use their assets to trade for sure things and go all-in on trying to win a wide-open NFC next season.
The Sixers had a semi-similar choice. Yes, they had Joel Embiid. The Sixers don't have an Embiid.
But both teams are playing in wide-open conferences. Both teams had assets to go get a star player. Both teams could have decided to hold onto their assets and try to build for the future, instead of going all-in now. The Sixers could have decided not to trade for a 33-year old guard, instead worrying about Embiid's shaky health, and trying to turn Simmons into a piece they could count on for years, instead of an asset to help them win this season. They could have been stubborn and gotten Harden for free this offseason.
Instead Daryl Morey and the Sixers made the right decision. They went all in. They paid to get James Harden now, and as a result, have a legitimate chance to win a title — something they haven't had since 2001, and something not many teams in this city have had since then either.
The path for the Eagles might not be the same. The attitude should be.
Don't focus on rebuilding.
Howie Roseman and the Eagles should focus on winning.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com
