The Sixer Sense
Fansided

A tight Eastern Conference could benefit the Sixers

By Christopher Kline

PHILADELPHIA,PA - FEBRUARY 12 : T.J. McConnell #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers is interviewed by Molly Sullivan while Joel Embiid #21 and Robert Covington #33 pours water over him in congratulations after a fantastic game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center on February 12, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA,PA - FEBRUARY 12 : T.J. McConnell #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers is interviewed by Molly Sullivan while Joel Embiid #21 and Robert Covington #33 pours water over him in congratulations after a fantastic game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center on February 12, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers have won four straight and things are starting to look up.

The Philadelphia 76ers are young and prone to inconsistency, so putting too much stock in their recent success could be a mistake. With that said, it doesn’t look like a fluke. They’re among the best defensive teams in the country and Joel Embiid is healthy, a combination that will normally lead to wins.

Winners of four straight, Philly is 29-25 heading into Wednesday night’s bout with the Miami Heat. Even with Dwyane Wade in the fold, Miami has struggled as of late, dropping to eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers are currently seventh.

If the SIxers are able to grab another win tonight, they would head into the All-Star break with momentum and their first 30-win season in a long time. They’d also be in the thick of a tight playoff race, something that could benefit them down the stretch.

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Only two games seperate the Sixers from the fourth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, with Indiana and Washington being the other two teams in the mix. Miami is only a half game behind the Sixers, to boot.

Those five teams all have the potential to rise or fall in the coming weeks, which leaves a lot of room for Philly to move up in the standings if they can sustain their current success. That would bring nothing but positives for a young team that’s looking to get its feet wet in a playoffs setting, especially when they’ll probably get a lottery pick regardless (Thanks, Lakers).

Whether or not the Sixers can sustain that success is still questionable. They’ve been better with turnovers as of late, but those issues haven’t disappeared. They’re also shooting the ball at what is likely an unsustainable rate, with Dario Saric morphing into the Croatian version of J.J. Redick in recent weeks.

All of that means one thing: regression is inevitable. The other thing that is inevitable, however, is Joel Embiid, who has played an integral role in their success. The Sixers’ All-Star has played in 21 of their last 23 games, something that has a clear impact when it comes to winning games.

Even last season, the Sixers were competitive whenever Embiid was on the floor. If he can continue playing back-to-backs and avoid injuries, Philly is in a good spot moving forward.

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Again, the Sixers tend to avoid certainty. There is zero guarantee that Philly finds itself in the playoffs, much less the fourth seed. But, under the current circumstances and with conventional wisdom at our disposal, one would think the Sixers’ chances of grabbing a decent playoff spot are high.