Philadelphia 76ers Become NBA Bad Boys Five Easy Steps?

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Mar 31, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Channing Frye (8) shoots over the defense of Philadelphia 76ers guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (20) during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

II. Defense First

This one comes easy. Head coach Brett Brown loves defense, and that is what this team needs to do. In the past three seasons, the team’s offense has risen from an average of just 92.0 points per game, to 97.4 points per game, to 102.4 points per game. But over the same period, the defense has gone from 101.0 points per game, to 107.6 points per game, to 108.1 points per game.

The margin improved dramatically, but the defense has yet to improve. But why defense?

NBA Bad Boys Play Defense

If you examine NBA Bad Boy teams, such as the 1989 Detroit Pistons, there is a commonality among all teams. They not only played great defense, but they could take opponent star players out of their comfort zone.

Right now, the Philadelphia 76ers have that level of play capability. With Joel Embiid at center, the team is in another plateau as far as defense. This year, adding Ben Simmons and fielding a healthy lineup gives the team a truly fighting chance of breaking that .500 barrier.