Daryl Morey was worthy of his contract extension, but the pressure now lies squarely on him

Joel Embiid uttered some form of the word "consistency" three times during his press conference on media day 2023.

No, he wasn't necessarily referring to the team's play on the court. Rather, he was talking about the revolving door of personnel - on the roster, coaching staff, and organization.

Embiid claims his ultimate goal is to finish his career with a ring. He just wants to win.

He doesn't think that can be achieved with personnel of all types coming and going.

Perhaps no star in the league has experienced as much core turnover as Embiid has in his nine years with the Sixers.

Two front-office czars in and out by the time Embiid suited up for his third official NBA season, both leaving office by way of resignation under controversial circumstances. A theoretical star who forgot how to shoot; an actual star who never learned. Two co-star trade requests in three seasons, the second of which was the return on the deal that honored the first. A revolving door of non-core teammates year after year; too many offseason moves that went left instead of right.

Perhaps the most normal part is that Embiid is (only) on his third head coach in nine years with the franchise.

If he's looking for consistency, the Sixers certainly haven't provided it.

While Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey hasn't provided that consistency in his tenure either, he's given Embiid a reason to believe that this regime's team-building philosophies are conducive to the consistency he seeks.

His first moves as president shipped out the ill-fitting Al Horford (and wiping that wretched contract from Philadelphia's obligations, I might add) and Josh Richardson, and brought in snipers Seth Curry and Danny Green. Morey re-shaped the roster to better fit both of his stars with the snap of a finger.

A few hours later, his front office snagged the current favorite for this season's Most Improved Player award and Embiid's beloved running mate with the 21st pick in the 2020 draft.

The next offseason and two-thirds of the ensuing regular season, he refused to surrender to Ben Simmons' trade demand, patiently waiting for the right trade to materialize while countless people doubted that the disgruntled point forward could fetch anything of value.

Embiid very publicly yearned for PJ Tucker after the Sixers lost to the Miami Heat in the Conference semifinals that season; Morey signed Tucker in the opening minute of that summer's free agency period, just a few days after trading an injured Danny Green and a first-round pick for De'Anthony Melton - who is currently second on the team in threes made and third in deflections per 36 minutes this season.

Then, there was this past summer, when Morey's front office nabbed important rotation pieces Patrick Beverley and Kelly Oubre Jr. on minimum deals while being hamstrung by James Harden's decision to pick up his option and request a trade.

Oh, and if you're wondering why advanced numbers argue that the Sixers are the best team in basketball despite trading away a talent of Harden's caliber, the answer is simple. Besides Embiid, that guy Morey's front office selected with the 21st pick has taken yet another massive leap and three of the four pieces coming back in the Harden trade are legitimately fortifying the Sixers' depth at positions that were previously quite thin.

Speaking of the Harden trade, pretty critical to Philadelphia's future was Morey's refusal to give in until the Clippers came up with a second first-round pick, especially considering that there was no other team competing for the bearded guard.

If restocking the draft ammunition for future trades wasn't good enough, getting a low-maintenance glue guy in Nico Batum, a team defense ace in Robert Covington, and a shooter on the wings in Marcus Morris Sr. certainly put the cherry on top.

Now, that isn't to say Morey has been perfect. Under his watch, the front office surrendered three second-round picks to acquire George Hill at the 2021 trade deadline. The Sixers waived the guard four months later.

2020 second-round pick Isaiah Joe was waived before the start of the 2022-23 season. He has since blossomed into one of the best young shooters in the league, and his willingness to shoot at any time would certainly fit well next to Embiid.

We have two sides of the Harden-Morey fallout story; it's anyone's best guess as to whether one or both explanations is actually true. But, it's not unreasonable to suggest that Morey miscalculated how Harden would react to the dead line of communication leading up to free agency.

With Morey at the helm, the Sixers, by and large, have made moves that were reasonable at worst and brilliant at best. To add a layer of challenge, those moves were made under the dynamic that comes with a more traditional head coach being hired before he was.

That dynamic followed Doc Rivers out the door just a few days after the Sixers lost to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2023 Conference semifinals.

Morey was hired in 2020; the Sixers unofficially became his team in 2023.

And so, on Friday, the Sixers announced a contract extension with Morey that will take him through the 2027-28 season.

“Daryl is one of the best front office executives in sports and I greatly value his leadership,” Sixers managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement.

Perhaps the results have been no different than those achieved by regimes of the past. But, results are binary in the world of sports, and binaries are dangerous.

Decision outcomes and organizational health are better measures, and the Sixers have unequivocally made mistakes at a less alarming rate since Morey arrived than they did before he got to Philadelphia.

That is why he is worthy of the extension. That is why he is getting his chance at complete control.

Jurisdiction to choose his head coach, freedom to instill his basketball philosophies, power to build the roster as he sees fit. Alignment from the top-down.

"I think the best franchises, the ones that win, they have both stability and alignment from ownership to front office to coaching, down to the players. Again, I've been fortunate to have that alignment in the past. I think, right now - obviously you'd have to talk to Josh [Harris] and [David Blitzer] and all the other key folks - I feel like we have that alignment. And it allows you to do things like build out your roster knowing how it's going to look going forward," Morey said on Friday about whether he and head coach Nick Nurse are aligned in philosophy and strategy.

"To give an example, even our minor league team that's won a championship. And, look, not a lot of young players have been able to break into our rotation except Tyrese because we're such a good team and because Oubres and Pat Beverleys and guys like that come in and contribute, makes it hard for these young guys. But, when they have had a chance to contribute, like a [Jaden] Springer, they've stepped up and having common philosophy of what kind of players and how we want to play does really help a franchise put a winning product on the floor."

The commitment to Morey represents a continuity that Embiid longs for but has yet to experience. It also represents trust that Morey will be responsible with the control he's been rewarded.

This past offseason marked his first coaching choice; next offseason could mark the first time he has max-level money at his disposal for free agency.

So, with that deserved power comes pressure.

For the first time in his Sixers tenure, the pressure lies squarely on Morey.