The Philadelphia 76ers finally have a team overflowing with talent and youth. Their progression along with the weakening of playoff teams in the East have many people expecting a playoff birth. That might not be the case.
For the first time since Jrue Holiday was in a Philadelphia 76ers jersey, the team is a legitimate threat to take a playoff spot. They are beginning to demand respect from the league, and even Vegas has them favored to jump out of the lottery. With that said, a few things stand in their way.
Philadelphia 76ers
Coaching
During his tenure as head coach, Brett Brown has been everything the organization has asked for. Patient, creating no negative headlines, spending endless hours with each young player to develop their skills. Unfortunately, none of this guarantees Brown will be a good or even average coach.
While there is still much to learn for beginner head coaches, last season showed a small bit of his progression. The 2016-2017 Philadelphia 76ers team was not the strongest, but he still had more talent than the previous year. However, the Sixers started off the season horribly and struggled to win close games. The rotations seemed random, possessions were lost from turnovers, and the team lacked clarity in order to close out a game.
Fast forward a few months, and the team is winning games, looking competitive, and having fun. Without the talent to overshadow teams, the Sixers could not have won without a strong coach and strong mentality. Unfortunately, it will take some time getting accustomed to the current roster and shaping how he will best utilize all his players. To put expectations on Brett Brown to lead this incredibly young team to the playoffs is unfair and unnecessary pressure.
Youth
The Sixers have talent. So much talent. Fultz, Embiid, Simmons, Saric, TLC, Covington, the list goes on. Just as shocking as the sheer amount of talent is the lack of experience. They will have three new first rounders on the court this season. Simmons has not touched the court for actual action in over a year. The last time Fultz played against higher end competition (not the summer league), his team was getting slapped around by the Pac-12. Korkmaz still needs time to get used to the way basketball is played in America.
All these young players need time to adapt around playing with each other and develop their role. It might take some time to be accustomed to not being the lead star for a team. Embiid experienced stardom last year, as “The Guy” for the Sixers, and both Simmons and Fultz are used to controlling the team. Everyone will have to give up a little for the team to be successful, and playing styles may clash.
Take the Miami Heat for example. They struggled initially with LeBron, Wade, and Bosh, who were all more mature and more talented at the time. If that trio could go through a rough patch at first, it’s foolish to think the Sixers could mesh flawlessly. There will be struggles, and they might be too much to overcome without veterans to steady everything and take control of the team.
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There is still competition in the East
It is no secret the East lacks many quality teams. Teams struggling to make the playoffs in the West would be locks to make the it in the East. Half the spots in the East will belong to the Cavs, Celtics, Wizards, and Raptors. Many expect the Bucks to continue rising up the ranks, leaving 3 open spots.
The Sixers may have potential, but they aren’t the only team with talent. The Hornets with Kemba, Heat with Whiteside, and Pistons with Drummond can all put together quality wins. While they may not be able to brag about their young players and future as much as the Philadelphia 76ers, they have the ability to mesh budding stars and veteran leadership into a playoff caliber team. A slow start to the season would leave the Sixers behind all the other teams balancing youth and players around their prime fighting for a playoff spot.
Minnesota was in a similar situation last year. Karl Anthony Towns, Wiggins, and Thibs were expected to break through and finally become a playoff team. Instead they greatly struggled because a transition into a playoff team does not happen overnight. It requires developing chemistry and improvement to everyone’s game to reach that. The Sixers are extremely talented and could potentially have a great season. However, they still have so much to learn and improve upon. Another season outside the playoffs should not be looked upon as a failure, and is a little more likely than fans would hope.