Philadelphia 76ers are Asking How Do You Like Me Now

With a sixth win and on a five win eight loss run, the Philadelphia 76ers may not be a playoff caliber team yet. But they are rapidly improving, and they are just getting started

It is the lyrics to a Toby Keith song, a song about a long shot dreamer who realizes his dream despite the disbelief of someone very close to him, that seems to capture what the Philadelphia 76ers are pulling together right now.

How do you like me now?
How do you like me now,
Now that I’m on my way?
Do you still think I’m crazy
Standin here today?
I couldnt make you love me
But I always dreamed about living in your radio
How do you like me now?

And so, with six wins under the belts of the Philadelphia 76ers, and more to follow, the team is taking on a new persona. No longer the patsy, easy win, roll over and play dead, this team is learning that they have the talent to compete. Even moreso, they are beginning to believe in themselves.

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It’s tough not to fall for this as the trend of things to come. For Sixers fans who have waited for more than three seasons for a reason to believe, this sudden burst to the positive is almost impossible to ignore, impossible to look away from, impossible to discount. The team has been loading up with raw talent for several years, and the results are beginning to show. Center Jahlil Okafor is scoring, but now playing defense. Center/power forward Nerlens Noel is playing defense, but now scoring on offense.  A bench that is suddenly coming in with positive contributions in a tight game.   But most of all, a surplus of healthy bodies that now confound head coach Brett Brown in was of how to keep all players getting quality minutes.   In the midst of it all, Brown keeps them playing hard win or lose.

And so, this young team with two superchargers coming onto the active roster next season in the form of Joel Embiid and Dario Saric is beginning to turn the corner. If your reaaction is anything like my own, you have nothing but pride in these young men. A group of 15 young men, some injured, some first time to the NBA, arrived to an unfamiliar setting this season and weathered several storms along the way. But right now, it’s a love fest in Philly.

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The 76ers are coming back.