The Philadelphia 76ers have a legitimate shot at the NBA Playoffs in 2018, but there’s still plenty of time left to prepare for what next season may bring.
We’ve hit the dullest part of the NBA offseason. With the NBA Draft and free agency now gone, it’s essentially a waiting game. The NBA season starts in October, and we’re left with little to talk about until then.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t content worth creating — and that in large part means discussing what the fans are interested in. That’s why mailbags exist, and why they’re such an entertaining part of our monthly routine.
As the old adage (kind of) goes, we’re answering questions straight from the horse’s mouth.
Mike O’Connor chimed in with strategic analysis and a breakdown of Joel Embiid‘s defensive prowess in our last mailbag, which laid the groundwork for a more wide-ranging round of discussions today. You guys chimed in on Twitter, and here are the questions circulating the Sixers fandom right about now.
What is the Sixers’ ceiling next season?
What's the Sixers' ceiling this year in terms of wins and playoff seeding?
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) August 5, 2017
Philadelphia’s playoff potential is difficult to get a grasp on. They have the raw talent needed to compete at a genuinely high level, but their combination of youth and inexperience is still a hindrance in almost every scenario regarding teams of this nature. Joel Embiid has still played in just a minutes-restricted version of 31 NBA games, while neither Ben Simmons nor Markelle Fultz have seen professional playing time.
There’s some serious margin for error.
With that said, the improvements the roster has made this year is undeniable. J.J. Redick should up the team’s offensive execution in more than one aspect, while his presence is a major boost for a locker room that’ll need to get used to contention. Both Simmons and Fultz are polished well beyond most rookies as well, which gives them the potential for an immediate impact that most collegiate freshman don’t have.
The Sixers were already semi-competitive with Embiid on the floor last season, and a healthier version — let’s say 60-plus games — with the additions of Simmons, Fultz and Redick should be more than enough to make the playoffs in a decimated Eastern Conference.
Their absolute ceiling is the fifth seed, with the .500 mark seeming like a worthwhile goal to set.