The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers’ slow start not cause for concern

By Rusty Gorelick

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 30: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets on October 30, 2017 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 30: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets on October 30, 2017 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers ‘ 4-4 record falls short of the team’s playoff expectations. Given the circumstances, that shouldn’t cause concern.

The Philadelphia 76ers have had plenty of highs and lows in the few games played this season. Players and other people associated with the franchise said that the team will make playoffs, but the Sixers don’t look like they have totally meshed yet.

The Sixers’ young core of Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Markelle Fultz have never played together before this season, and the three have dealt with injuries over the last year. Fultz’s injury came more recently than the other two, and the team doctors and the front office mishandled his injury. Before this season, Embiid was the only one to have played an NBA game.

People should not expect a trio made up of a 19-year-old, a 21-year-old, and a 23-year-old to gel right away, but the Sixers, regardless of their mediocre record, have looked pretty good when playing together. Although wins are more important in this year of the Process than in the past, the Sixers are more than what their record indicates.

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Immediate Improvement

The team has already shown improvement through seven games: they lost to the Houston Rockets on a buzzer beater after leading most of the game on Oct. 25 at home and then went wire-to-wire to beat them at their place on Oct. 30. It’s a bit of a stretch to say that those results show definitive improvement, but the Rockets are still one of the best teams in the NBA even without Chris Paul, so losing at the buzzer and then beating them by eight is no small feat.

The Sixers also have beaten the Pistons, Mavericks, and Hawks, with three of their four wins coming on the road. In the game against the Mavericks, Embiid and Simmons showed their potential to play together: Embiid dropped 23 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, while Simmons also had 23 points and added seven boards and eight assists.

Supporting Cast Contribution

Obviously, the Sixers have more than just two players. Other massive contributors include J.J. Redick, Robert Covington, Dario Saric, and T.J. McConnell. Covington got off to a monster start when he hung 29 points on the Washington Wizards, and he averages 13.6 points and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 46.7 percent from deep. Redick, another sharpshooter, averages 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, and didn’t miss a free throw until Wednesday night’s win over Atlanta.

Dario Saric splits time between playing as a stretch four and as a small-ball center, and even though he plays out of position half the time, he still puts up decent numbers off the bench: 7.7 points, 4.3 boards, and 1.6 assists make up his per-game averages. Once the Jahlil Okafor situation gets solved and the Philadelphia 76ers find a suitable third-string center, Saric should be able to return to playing the four full time, which will benefit his stats.

In Fultz’s absence, T.J. McConnell has truly stepped up. He has a well-rounded stat line, getting 6.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. This season, his hustle seems to be at an all-time high, and that truly benefits the team. If Jerryd Bayless keeps struggling, McConnell could take his job as the starting guard beside Ben Simmons.

Star Power Takes Time to Mesh

The main reason that Sixers fans shouldn’t panic is because of how long it took the last two NBA superteams to gel. The Miami Heat, in their first season with LeBron James and Chris Bosh, finished with a 58-24 record and lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. They followed that season with two NBA championships and another NBA Finals appearance before the big three went their separate ways.

Last season’s Golden State Warriors team also took some time to get it together after acquiring Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016. In the 2015/16 season, they finished 73-9 but blew a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. In KD’s first season as a Warrior, they finished 67-15, a poor record by their standards. After their team of four All-Stars disappointed in the regular season, they gelled and flew through the playoffs with ease, finishing their season with an NBA title.

Next: Sixers are finally gelling

The Philadelphia 76ers have no reason to panic. There’s still a ton of basketball left to play and their stars have long careers ahead of them. It’s still the Process, the players are still young, and with winnable games coming up against the Pacers, Jazz, and Kings, the team has plenty of chances to gain some confidence before facing the Warriors on November 11.