The Sixer Sense
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Have Philadelphia 76ers created an NBA power shift?

By Bret Stuter

CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 31: T.J. McConnell #1 talks with Gerald Henderson #12 and Richaun Holmes #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers as they walk off the court during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on March 31, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 31: T.J. McConnell #1 talks with Gerald Henderson #12 and Richaun Holmes #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers as they walk off the court during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on March 31, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – MARCH 31: T.J. McConnell
CLEVELAND, OH – MARCH 31: T.J. McConnell /

Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers rule the NBA. But the Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid openly challenged the Cavaliers. Has that defiance created a power shift in the NBA?

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is an outspoken athlete. But while many consider his statements as pure and simple entertainment, he is wise beyond his years.  His claim as the team entered 2017 of the 76ers as a playoff team served as a rallying cry to his teammates that jump started a serious improvement.

More from Sixers News

His claim to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed like a baseless bold claim to seed headlines. But underneath the surface, it was once more a rallying cry.  This time, to the entire Philadelphia 76ers that the time is now.

Rallying Cry

We explored this at length is a recent article. Despite adding so much potential talent to the team, the Philadelphia 76ers needed to ignite the roster into one focus, one goal. To do so, the team needed a catalyst, a spark, to ignite the potential from fuel into NBA energy.

But did Joel Embiid have more dramatic effects than intended?

Philly.com’s Mike Sielski has a provocative rebuttal article out discussing the NBA traditionalists snubbing the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2017 awards ceremony. His conclusion is that the NBA is shaken at the success the 76ers have had in shunning overpaying for veterans only to win enough games to fall out of the best NCAA talent available via the NBA draft. Instead, the team cycled through numerous undrafted and second round talents in the past four years, not from a hope to lose games, but in disregard to wins in the hope to find undervalued NBA elite talent.