How 76ers end the season outweighs how team begin the season
Why?
The early struggles against good team was less about being “outclassed” and more about being unfamiliar. The Philadelphia 76ers have defeated the 10-5 Detroit Pistons, the 12-4 Houston Rockets, and the 8-8 Indiana Pacers already.
Perhaps the best clue to how this team will perform is simply to see how the Sixers are constructed. Exactly how many teams have similar pieces? Right now, too few. If you consider center Joel Embiid as the keystone to the team, which NBA teams have a strong center? Well, the only two teams with such a player who scores and rebounds are the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Of those teams, only the Timberwolves boasts a point guard with a high assist total. But Timberwolves point guard Jeff Teague falls short of rookie Ben Simmons’ scoring and is not close in rebounds. Both Embiid, Simmons, and likely Fultz, will continue to grow and develop this year. It’s a safer bet to believe Karl-Anthony Towns and Jeff Teague will be more consistent but less improvement this year. In short, the 76ers best players will play their best basketball at the end of the season.