The Sixer Sense
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Sixers one of five teams with chance at title, Enes Kanter says

By Stuart London

PHILADELPHIA,PA - FEBRUARY 12: Enes Kanter #00 of the New York Knicks boxes out Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers on February 12, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Wells Fargo Center. 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA,PA - FEBRUARY 12: Enes Kanter #00 of the New York Knicks boxes out Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers on February 12, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Wells Fargo Center. 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Knicks center had some interesting comments on the Philadelphia 76ers’ title chances, and the league as a whole. Let’s give them some historical context.

In a comment that is sure to tick off fans in more than a few NBA cities, New York Knicks center Enes Kanter said in a recent podcast that only five teams have a chance to win the NBA championship next season.

The good news for Philadelphia 76ers fans is they are part of the five.

Kanter made the comment as a guest of the Kentucky Sports Radio’s Aaron Torres Sports Podcast.

Courtesy of Clutch Points, here are the salient quotes:

"“That’s it. There are five teams, Houston, Lakers, Golden State, Philly, Boston, that’s it. And there aren’t any other teams. People are saying they’re kind of ruining the league, I can a little bit agree with that.”More from HistoryPhiladelphia 76ers: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000Philadelphia 76ers Ten Biggest Mistakes of the Last Ten YearsPhiladelphia 76ers: Best trade in team history with Washington Wizards6 Worst Philadelphia 76ers starters of the Allen Iverson eraAre 76ers using page from past for ‘Twin Towers’ lineup"

Besides ticking off people in Toronto, Indiana and Oklahoma City, as well as Knicks fans who probably do not need to hear from one of their own players they have no shot to do anything, Kanter is saying the regular season is only for playoff seeding for the big guns.

However, if one looks at the premise of the comments in terms of NBA history, Kanter might be off-target. In the star-driven NBA, it has never been like the worst-to-first in one year (see Eagles, Philadelphia) NFL. If anything, five teams with a shot is a larger pool than normal.

From almost the beginning of the league, there have been dominant teams over long stretches of time.

From 1949 until 1970 only the Lakers, Hawks, Pistons and Warriors won the Western Conference (except the 1951 Rochester Royals snuck in). That’s four teams over a 22-year span. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s Milwaukee Bucks broke the stranglehold finally in 1971.

The East was not much better once Bill Russell joined the Celtics in 1957. Boston won the Eastern Conference for 12 of the next 13 years (the 1966-67 76ers breaking it up).
The 1970s there was a lot more parity, and also a time of the NBA’s popularity going so low the finals were tape-delayed.

When Bird and Magic arrived in 1979, combined with the Julius Erving-led 76ers, the age of the dominant teams was once again re-established.

From 1980 through 1988 no team except the Celtics, Lakers and 76ers won NBA titles. Throw in the Houston Rockets and, outside of those four teams, no one else made the NBA finals. So for nine years straight, only four teams got to experience playing for a championship. Kanter might not like it, but the NBA’s popularity boomed during that time.

Then came the Bad Boys of Detroit, the Michael Jordan-era Bulls and the Kobe and Shaq-led Lakers.
Talk about no shot, from 1999 to 2014, only the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Lakers won the Western Conference and made the finals (with the outlier being the 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder). Interestingly, there was no talk of chucking the conference playoffs during this time.
Of course, for the past few seasons it has been all about the Warriors and whatever team LeBron James is playing for.

Next: Pressure now on young Sixers to produce

But looking back at the NBA, since before the 24-second clock was even introduced, a few teams during an era have always been the only ones with a chance at a title — and it has not hurt the NBA’s popularity in the least. Thankfully, for Philadelphia fans, they’ve been usually part of the élite clique.