Can Philadelphia 76ers Defeat Good NBA Teams?

As the Philadelphia 76ers improve through the 2016-2017 season, the team will challenge ever more complete NBA teams. But ultimately the question must be asked. Can the Philadelphia 76ers defeat good NBA teams?

In a rare event in recent history, the Philadelphia 76ers managed a road victory against the New Orleans Pelicans. Following that success, the team spring-boarded to a consecutive road win against the potentially playoff-bound Detroit Pistons. While that is in itself a huge “coup”, the team accomplished the feat without Joel Embiid, Jerryd Bayless, Sergio Rodriguez, or Ben Simmons. Even just returned Nerlens Noel had to end the evening early with a sprained left ankle.

On the road, undermanned, the Philadelphia 76ers won, and won big, 97-79.

So let’s ask that unavoidable question? Ultimately, can the Philadelphia 76ers defeat a good NBA team?

A Good NBA Team

First of all, let’s define a “good” NBA team. To ensure we are talking the same language, let’s agree that the good teams are the top ten NBA teams AT THE TIME THE TEAMS PLAY. Right now, that group consists of the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Charlotte Hornets.

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Ultimately, for a team coming off a ten win season, beating one of the best teams in the NBA would be a huge statement. This team must convince the league the team is trending in a positive direction. That argument cannot be made with statistics, but relies entirely upon a cohesive effort on the basketball court.

To do so, the team needs to play a full game of better than average play from it’s lineup.

Some Teams Are In The Clouds

Some of the challenge with finding success against a very good team is the inability to match up with some teams. Why? The Philadelphia 76ers are young and inexperienced. As such, teams which excel in either offense or defense are a particularly difficult contest for the Sixers.

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The Philadelphia 76ers offense is simply not good enough to overcome a superior NBA defense. Similarly, an NBA leading offense will find little trouble scoring on the young defense of the Sixers. As such, teams like the Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, and Golden State Warriors will likely not show up in the loss column against these 76ers this season.

In similar fashion, teams on the defensive crest like the Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, and Memphis Grizzlies will be a tough pull for the 76ers. While the Philadelphia 76ers can defend these teams somewhat, the offense would struggle. In the end, the Grizzlies offense is just good enough to eek out a win.

Some Teams Are Beatable

But the NBA teams which are balanced are susceptible to a surprise loss to this Sixers’ team. Take the two contests against the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, decided by a combined point differential of five points. Are the Philadelphia 76ers that good? Not exactly. But this team matches up nicely with the balanced lineup of the Cavaliers. In fact, the same can be said about the way this team matched up against the likes of the Golden State Warriors a year ago.

While some have lost patience with head coach Brett Brown, the conclusion of his limits completely overlooks the fabric of this roster. The Philadelphia 76ers are stacked to the rafters with rookies. Rookies are inconsistent, but they play unpredictably. It’s that quality which gives both Brown and successful opponents fits. The Houston Rockets do not modify play to the opponent. The team simply believes that James Harden can outscore his opponent in a big way. When facing the Philadelphia 76ers, that’s true.

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Teams that study film and prepare for their opponent are handicapped when Philly squares off. This team is different virtually each night. One night Sergio Rodriguez may pump in 16 points and ten assists. Another night it could be the 28 point 12 rebound performance of Joel Embiid who confounds the opposition. A third night, it may be T.J. McConnell who launches into a near triple double for the team.

So far this team, some players have played well, while other players have not. That’s not entirely uncommon for a young team. It’s also quite normal for an unsuccessful NBA team.

There will come a game, perhaps sooner than we realize, when it will just “click” for everyone on the same night. Shots will fall, passes will find their target, and players will find discipline and handles on the ball. When that night comes, these Philadelphia 76ers can in fact beat a good team.

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Until then, we will have near misses, disappearing leads, and disappointing results at the buzzer. It just takes that one big win to start the alignment. Can the Philadelphia 76ers Defeat Good NBA Teams? Yes. When it happens is the question.