4 The rotten teams in the NBA are not quite as rotten as before.
Last year the 76ers could simply out-talent most of its final 16 opponents, even without Embiid. With no playoff hopes, most coaches just rolled out kids to get them some experience (and try and convince their GM not to fire them because they were ‘rebuilding’) who where no match for a Sixers team on a major roll.
But the last two drafts have not only had talent at the top (with one huge exception) but they have been deep. The teams near the bottom of the standings have picked up some talent, like Phoenix with DeAndre Ayton, Dallas’ Doncic and Atlanta’s Trae Young .
The new kids on the block do not have enough experience yet, or surrounding talent, to lift their teams out of the basement but, in one-game situations they can carry a team to victory, as Young did against the Sixers.
For example, the Suns have only 17 wins on the season but the 76ers had two tough games with them, winning by margins of just five at home in a game the Sixers had to rally from a big deficit, as well winning by just five away.
Even the worst of teams have a player or two to worry about.