For these Philadelphia 76ers, the best is yet to come

The Philadelphia 76ers have already jumped out to an 8-6 record. That was despite 10 of the first 14 games on the road. It’s also despite facing teams with a combined 109-98. But the best of this team is yet to come

The Philadelphia 76ers are breaking unfamiliar ground this year. Opening a season with modest expectations, the team has jumped into post-season discussions rather early in the NBA year. At 8-6, despite solid competition and road games, the team is now turning heads.  And deservedly so, I might add. After all, this team is so very very young, but already showcasing some of the best NBA talent in the league.

Center Joel Embiid is 14th ranked in the league in scoring. 9th in rebounds, and sixth in blocks. Embiid has played 43 NBA games.  His teammate Ben Simmons is 41st ranked in the league in scoring, 17th in rebounds, and fifth in assists.  He has played in 14 NBA games.

The best is yet to come

Two stars. Two players who have earned the right to be considered “NBA stars of tomorrow”. 57 total NBA games between them.  When you pause a moment to consider that the team has yet to witness the material impact of 2017 top-pick Markelle Fultz, the logical conclusion is that this team will become THAT much better soon.  From where the team is, to someplace better?  How is that even possible?

It’s not only possible, it’s the likely future of this team. So what will that “better” look like, and when will it kick in?  Well the first phase of that will occur when Fultz earns playing time once more.  When that happens, the team will take on an entirely new dynamic.

That new dynamic will be better offense, and defense.

Markelle, Markelle

Joel Embiid rules the paint. Ben Simmons directs traffic. Both J.J. Redick and Robert Convington rely upon Simmons to dish the ball to them when the shot opens up. But Markelle Fultz is a shot maker unto himself. He adds a second harmony to the Simmons melody.  And that doubles the challenge to the 76ers opponent.

And that is one player, and the second first-pick-of-an-NBA-Draft-to-debut rookie on this team. But this is a team of depth this season.  And that depth includes bench players who could start on other NBA teams.  Center Jahlil Okafor, point guard T.J. McConnell, power forward Dario Saric, guard Jerryd Bayless.  The team continues to work on the huge upside of talented wings Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Furkan Korkmaz.

When you’re hot, you’re the Sixers in 2018.

Right now, the NBA is surprised at the success of Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons,and the New York Knicks. Ultimately, the heat will cool and at least one of the early good teams will cool off and fall back to .500. But the opposite holds true for Philadelphia. Unlike teams built with veterans, this team has young players who are still making introductions to one another at the opening tip-off.

The team will applaud as Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Robert Covington solidify their early success with increasing proficiency and consistency. But at some point, these 76ers will need to derail the Houston Rockets (done), the Golden State Warriors, the Boston Celtics, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  While the team is currently one win out of four attempts at this group, that will improve.

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.

Timberwolves and 76ers will compete for years to come

The two teams are similarly constructed overall, and that suggests that as of today, the teams are nearly equivalent.   Will the Timberwolves improve with time?  The Timberwolves hold five players at or under 23 years of age. By the same token, the 76ers boast eight players at or under 23 years of age.

On one hand, head on competition will not truly tell the tale this year. If either team faces their opponent with a key player out, that will play a huge factor in the outcome of that game. On the other hand, over the course of the season these two teams should remain close through the All-Star break.  Both teams are playing at a high level, and both are powered by young stars who are out to prove themselves to the NBA.

Related Story: Where exactly will Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid plateau?

But competition is not the equivalent of rivalry. Minnesota has the talent and age to compete with Philadelphia, but not the ire. The Philadelphia 76ers bad blood will resurface as soon as the Sixers oust the Celtics in post season. With the Celtics accelerating their progress of exchanging young talent in favor of veterans, that day will make the changing of the guard in the NBA East.

76ers post-season will be defined by defense

Just how good can this 76ers team get? Defense is the key. Ultimately, the 76ers will face teams in post season who can and will score against normal competition. And right now, with a very young 76ers roster, head coach Brett Brown should not plan for a shoot out strategy in the playoffs. Ultimately, the veteran hand will remain steadier than a rookie hand in a five or seven game series.  To counter that, the 76ers must eventually build a stiffer team defense.

That will play right into the team. With defensive skills very much a part of Markelle Fultz, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and even Furkan Korkmaz’s development, you can bet on these players seeing an ever increasing role as the season progresses.  That lends itself to post-season success.

The best for the 76ers is the playoffs.

Post season play seems surreal at this point in the season.  The last playoff appearance by the Philadelphia 76ers occurred in 2012 when the team surpassed the Chicago Bulls but were denied by the Boston Celtics.  This team is currently on track to face a similar outcome.

Winning is very important. Winning raises expectations. Beating expectations raises interest and perception. All of these components add to the team, and that is what is needed for the team to attract significant free agents and make deep runs in post season.

Next: Which wing players should the Sixers target in the 2018 draft?

It begins this season. But it doesn’t end here. After years of waiting for tomorrow, the very best for the Philadelphia 76ers? Finally knowing that tomorrow is today.