"That was an opportunity we didn't take advantage of" - Monty Williams believes 2019 76ers had everything to win a title

Most people would assume that Monty Williams' biggest basketball regret was losing in the 2021 NBA Finals. After all, the team he coached — the Phoenix Suns — held a commanding 2-0 series lead before losing the next four games to the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks.

However, Williams recently revealed that as stinging as that loss was, the cut was much deeper when he reflected on his time with the 2019 Philadelphia 76ers. During his appearance on the "Run Your Race" podcast, he shared that the team was built to dominate the league but couldn't maximize its potential.

A moment that he will never forget

Williams' stint as an assistant coach in Philadelphia lasted one season, but it turned out to be unforgettable. Led by Joel Embiid, pre-meltdown Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, JJ Redick and Tobias Harris, the Sixers had an arsenal of highly skilled players who dealt a lot of damage on both ends.

After securing the third seed in the Eastern Conference, they ousted the Brooklyn Nets in the first round before facing the red-hot Toronto Raptors in the semifinals. That was the series where Kawhi Leonard hit one of the most iconic shots in NBA history to send Philly packing in Game 7.

"We all talk basketball, and I'm a basketball — I wouldn't say I'm a basketball junkie out loud, but I am. I just love what I've been able to do all of my life," Monty shared. "And when you do it as long as we have, we all have regrets about things, or we all think about missed opportunities.That, to me, was an opportunity we didn't take advantage of."

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A loaded roster

When people discuss super teams, the 2019 Sixers rarely come up, mainly because they never got to make a deep postseason run. However, there's no denying the sheer amount of talent on that roster.

The ringmaster was undoubtedly Embiid, who averaged 27.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.9 blocks per game to finish seventh in the MVP race and fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Simmons, a 6'10" guard who has since become a shell of his former self, was still a game-changer in those days. He was the total package, averaging 16.3 points on 56.9 percent shooting, 8.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Add to that the veteran savvy of Butler, Harris and Redick's lights-out shooting, and the Sixers had all the makings of a championship team.

"That team… you could say they didn't have many weaknesses at all. Joel, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, JJ Redick, Tobias Harris — that was our starting five. You're talking about tough, high-IQ, confident guys with bravado," Williams said. "Every time you walked into a gym with that team, you felt like you had a chance to not only win, but win convincingly."

"We just ran into Toronto, and we ran into a moment. That was a moment that could have gone either way. Kawhi hit a shot that'll be replayed for the rest of basketball history," he added. "But that particular team was one of those teams that you feel like could be a conference finalist. And once you get to the conference finals, you feel like everybody's got a shot because it's so hard to get there. Once you get there, you're like, 'OK, all four of us have a shot at this.'"

The Sixers are a franchise stuck in limbo, having failed to advance past the second round in three of the last six seasons. With Embiid battling persistent knee issues and the team now being led by spunky guard Tyrese Maxey, it remains to be seen if they'll be able to make a deep playoff run anytime soon.

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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.