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Philadelphia 76ers: A Sneak Into The Playoffs?

ByJosh Wilson|

Could the Philadelphia 76ers sneak into the playoffs this year?

Playoffs?

How about we get some more time in the gym practicing before we talk about that!

Okay, now that I’ve got that out of my system, let’s carry on. I’m sure I’ve already lost some of you with the title of this post, given that 76ers and playoffs hasn’t been said in a sentence that doesn’t contain an ecstatic 12 year old making trades to get LeBron James on the Sixers squad in NBA 2k since 2012, when Doug Collins was still the head coach.

Now, this wasn’t an organic idea from me, I just want to be clear about that. Some of you have called me “pessimistic” in the comment section. That’s cool, but I’d actually consider myself an optimist when it comes to thinking about the Sixers and what they can do in the next few years. But, at the same time, I try to be realistic, and have had a tough time thinking about them making the playoffs, especially this year.

Jerami Grant, on the other hand, is much different, or at least puts on a pretty good act for the media, saying that he believes the Sixers will contend this year for a playoff spot.

I love the optimism, first of all. Starting off this season on a note that says “wow, we can really do something here,” and not, “yeah, we know we’re rebuilding, we know we won’t win this year,” is going to set up a good start (hopefully). Mindset is a lot of what impacts team morale a lot of the time.

When I first heard Grant’s claims, I brushed it off. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought, “hey, this is the Eastern Conference. Just about every single team has a shot.”

And you know what? It’s not that far out.

Last season I covered the Charlotte Hornets for a large chunk of the season for Swarm and Sting. I enjoyed watching this young team contend for a playoff spot, even though ultimately they were unable to capture it, due to a late season skid. They did hold the eighth spot for a large chunk of the season. I see a lot of similarities between these two teams, and don’t think the Sixers are very far out of the skill level that the Hornets posses.

The first similarity is the youth. The Hornets had 11 players with five or less years of experience on their roster. If that’s not young, I don’t know what is. The Sixers bested this last season with 20 different players on their roster at one point that had two seasons or less worth of experience. So, the Sixers are obviously younger, but it’s a common factor between them and the Hornets.

Secondly, they both are teams that struggle defensively. The Hornets were 28th of 30 in offensive rating last season, and the Sixers were 29th.

Both of the rosters are generally accepted by the NBA to be weaker rosters overall that have a few bright spots. Sure, both have some solid players. The Hornets have Kemba Walker who is looked at as one of the best guards in the East after scoring 17.3 points per game last year, and the Sixers have Nerlens Noel who is one of the best defenders in the league right now, averaging 1.9 blocks per game last season. On top of that, they have solid three years of experience and younger year players that are on the rise in the NBA. Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky are examples for the Hornets, and Jahlil Okafor is the obvious example for the Sixers.

Looking at the Hornets schedule and their success last season, their wins were against teams that weren’t that great. They nearly slipped into the playoffs beating teams like the Boston Celtics, the Utah Jazz, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and yes, even the Sixers. My point is not that they were not deserving of almost making the playoffs. My point is that they were a mediocre team who were able to make themselves one of the best mediocre teams in the NBA and take advantage of games that were easier to win.

Can the Sixers do this? I don’t know about contending for the eighth spot this year, but next year, I w0uldn’t be surprised to see them fighting for the eighth, or even seventh seed spots in the playoffs. They will still be considered one of the more mediocre teams in the NBA, but they will be on the verge of being a playoff team, just like the Hornets have been able to do. And that’s exciting.

Next: Teamwork A Clear Aspect Of Sixers First Win

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