1. Playing the Sixers is now ‘a thing’
A game against the 76ers usually drew a yawn from opposing fans and players. ‘Oh yeah, the team that does not want to win’ was the thinking as in many games a team’s top player did not even bother dressing (and fans did not bother coming out to watch).
Things are different now. The Sixers have high-profile names like Embiid, Butler, Harris and Simmons. They are constantly talked about by the national media, good and bad, but there is always chatter.
Teams get up for the Sixers like they do for the Golden State Warriors and used to for the LeBron James-led Cavaliers. The 76ers are not just another game on the schedule.
For a team going nowhere, a win over the Sixers gives them something to build on for the coming off-season.
So, for a variety of reasons, the 76ers really do not have it easy as the regular season winds down. That is not to give an excuse like the pitiful effort against Orlando or an almost just as wretched performance in a win over Cleveland, but, if there are a few ‘L’s’ at the end , it really is not an indicator that they are playing any better or worse compared to last season’s group.
The fact is, the 76ers will need to step up in a lot of games they did not have to in the past. The end of the season schedule is simply a lot harder than most would think.