The Philadelphia 76ers made huge roster changes before the trade deadline by adding Tobias Harris, Jonathon Simmons, Mike Scott, Boban Marjanovic, and James Ennis. While the Sixers have played better since their new arrivals joined the team, how big of a difference have they made?
After the Philadelphia 76ers traded for Jimmy Butler, I didn’t think they were capable of trading for another All-Star level players, but general manager Elton Brand proved me wrong by trading for Tobias Harris. Not only did the Sixers become the best starting lineup in the league, but they also improved a bench that averaged 31.4 points per game during the month of January, making them the 24th worst scoring bench in the league.
Obviously, the 20.7 points, 2.8 assists, and 7.8 rebounds Harris is averaging a game this season while making 43 percent of his shots from behind the three-point line improves the Sixers, but comparing the Sixers’ production in the four games Harris has played in to their overall performance this season, shows how much things have changed.
Through 58 games, the Sixers have averaged 115.9 points, 27.4 assists, 47 rebounds, 5.5 blocks, 7.7 steals, and 15.5 turnovers per game while making 36.1 percent of their shots from behind the three-point line and 47.5 percent of their shots overall. In the last four games, the Sixers have averaged 123.8 points, 27.5 assists, 44.5 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, 7.3 steals, and 13.5 turnovers per game while making 40.6 percent of their shots from behind the three-point line and 52.9 percent of their shots overall.
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The Sixers played the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks during this time period, and they entered the All-Star break with a combined win and lose record of 115-115, so they have been moderately challenged. Remove the Knicks (11-47) and the Lakers (28-29), it’s clear the current version of the Sixers’ is capable of competing with and beat the best in the NBA. On Jan. 26, the Sixers lost to the Nuggets 126-110. When the Sixers had their rematch on Feb. 8 against the Nuggets (who enter the All-Star break 39-18, and the second best record in the Western Conference), they beat them 117-110.
The Sixers have played the Celtics three times and have lost to them all three times. Their worst loss to the Celtics was before the Jimmy Butler and Harris trade on Oct. 16, when they lost 105-87. While the Sixers’ 121-114 overtime lost to the Celtics after the Butler trade on Dec. 25 and their most recent 112-109 loss to the Celtics after the Harris trade shows the Celtics’ blueprint still works, the new -look Sixers will have played 17 games together by the time they play their final regular season match against the Celtics on March 20 and should be in better position to finally beat them.
As someone that entered the season thinking the Sixers didn’t have a one percent chance at winning the NBA championship this season, I no longer feel that way. What team would be favored in a matchup between the Sixers and the Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs can be debated, but few people would think the Sixers would have no chance of winning any of those series.
And even in a Finals match against the Golden State Warriors, the possibility of a Sixers’ upset no longer seems fantastical.