Philadelphia 76ers: A potential influx of talent (and contenders) in Atlantic Division
The Philadelphia 76ers’ path to title contention in 2019-20 could run through the Atlantic Division.
When LeBron James departed for the Los Angeles Lakers last summer, many thought the Eastern Conference would take a step back. The opposite occurred. The top of the conference was as strong as ever, boasting four legitimate contenders in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Boston and Toronto.
The Raptors now lead 3-1 in the NBA Finals against an injured-but-talented Golden State Warriors team. It took a miracle seven-game win over the Philadelphia 76ers and a six-game victory over Milwaukee to reach this point. The top of the East was an absolute bloodbath.
Moving forward, it could get significantly tougher for the Sixers — and the entire conference. The Atlantic Division could get particularly dicey.
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The Atlantic Division featured four postseason teams in 2018, with Philadelphia, Toronto, Boston and Brooklyn all finishing top-six in the East. The lone exclusion was the lowly New York Knicks, who ended the campaign as bottom-dwellers.
Free agency has the potential to liven the Atlantic Division even more, depending on where a few key free agents land. As Yaya Dubin pointed out on Twitter, there’s a chance all five Atlantic teams contend next season. All five.
The scenario Dubin floated, while not entirely likely, is very much possible:
- Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris re-sign in Philadelphia
- Kawhi Leonard re-signs in Toronto
- Kevin Durant signs in New York
- Kyrie Irving signs in Brooklyn
- Anthony Davis gets traded to Boston
Those are all realistic outcomes. The Celtics plan to pursue AD with or without Irving, while the latter seems to be considering the Nets on a very serious level. KD has been connected to New York since last season. Kawhi, on the verge of a title, should consider re-signing at least short term.
If the Sixers and Raptors run it back, they become the main favorites out East. If Durant joins New York and Irving joins Brooklyn, the NYC teams immediately jump a competitive tier or two. Durant might be the best player in basketball and talent would certainly follow him to the Mecca.
Even after a disjointed 2018-19 season, the Celtics have a lot of young talent. Gordon Hayward should improve after another summer in the gym. Davis is a top-10 player who raises Boston’s ceiling considerably.
Five of the top-six teams in the East next season could reside in the same division, assuming the above events transpire. The only exception would be Milwaukee, who still needs to re-sign Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon and Brook Lopez — a potentially expensive endeavor.
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The Sixers have a real chance to make a Finals run next season if both Butler and Harris return. But running through Kawhi, Durant, Irving and Davis in the same division would make winning the East a formidable challenge. One Philadelphia would need to make improvements to overcome.