Ratliff Blames Coaching For Sixers First Round Exit

Posted by Jeff Sack under NBA Free Agents, NBA News, NBA PLAYOFFS

The “Philadelphia Daily News“” has reported that Philadelphia 76ers veteran big man Theo Ratliff is blaming his team’s first round exit in the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs all on the coaching staff. The Sixers were eliminated in the first round by the Orlando Magic after a hard fought series. For the second straight year Philadelphia gave a much higher seeded opponent quite a scare before succumbing. Consequently though the Sixers did exit in the first round both years.

Ratliff who will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the Playoffs did not try to hide his displeasure from reporters. Although the veteran who just completed season number 14 in the Association never mentioned interim head coach Tony DiLeo by name his barbs were directed at the Philadelphia coaching staff.

Ratliff told reporters “When you see the lack of effort, the lack of concentration, the lack of being able to get things done, and to stick with the same thing, to me you’re just trying to play guys, and I don’t feel good about it. I’m not a coach, I don’t make the substitutions. But if you’re going to do it like that, then that’s the way it’s done, then you get that type of game. You’re going to get whupped, plain and simple. You don’t know if you’re going to get back to this position. This is my 14th year. It’s not guaranteed that I’ll be in the playoffs again. To not get the effort, to see how things went, the lack of hustle, that leaves a distaste.”

There has been no word out of the Sixers front office whether DiLeo will be retained for next season. He took over during the campaign after Philadelphia fired former head coach Mo Cheeks.

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