Few teams in the NBA have endured a decade quite like the Philadelphia 76ers. From draft-night disasters to contract catastrophes, the franchise has become synonymous with heartbreak and "what ifs." But as the dust settles on Daryl Morey's recent firing, one question looms larger than the Wells Fargo Center rafters: How much of this mess is really his fault?

Let's start with the timeline. Morey took the reins on November 2, 2020. By then, the Sixers' most infamous missteps were already etched in franchise infamy. Trading the pick that became Jayson Tatum for Markelle Fultz? That was pre-Morey. Jimmy Butler walking? Pre-Morey. Handing max contracts to Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons, or swapping Mikal Bridges for Zhaire Smith? All well before Morey ever set foot in the Philadelphia front office.

In other words, Morey inherited a car with engine trouble—and was told it was a Ferrari. Upon arrival, he was handed two non-negotiables: head coach Doc Rivers (hired just a month earlier) and a core built around Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. The franchise had spent three years doubling down on that plan. Morey's job wasn't to build from scratch; it was to polish a lemon.

To his credit, he moved fast. Just 16 days into his tenure, he drafted Tyrese Maxey—a move that looks smarter by the day. From there, he worked within the constraints, leaning into his signature philosophy: threes and layups, no long twos. It's a system that has defined his career, and while it wasn't perfect, it gave the Sixers a fighting chance.

Yes, Morey made mistakes—every GM does. But the narrative that he single-handedly doomed the franchise ignores the wreckage he walked into. His firing signals a shift in direction, but it shouldn't erase the reality: most of the Sixers' woes were baked into the roster long before he arrived. For a fanbase that's seen it all, the lesson is clear. Sometimes the hardest job isn't building a winner—it's trying to fix one that was broken before you got the keys.