Philadelphia 76ers return: Where do power rankings have them?
The Philadelphia 76ers are currently sixth in the East. How do the experts rank them?
The NBA (and with it, the Philadelphia 76ers) will return to action on July 31. Games will take place in Orlando on the Walt Disney World/ESPN campus, with no fans — or even extended family — allowed on the premises.
Philadelphia will play eight regular season games, then move to the postseason. There is the potential for a play-in tournament for the eighth seed, but the Sixers are too far up in the standings to worry. The Sixers will fall no lower than their current position, which is sixth.
It has been a long and frustrating season for the Sixers up to this point. A roster many once considered elite has instead turned into a combustive and unpredictable mix of players who simply do not fit. Injuries have run rampant, the Sixers absolutely refuse to win on the road, and Brett Brown no longer has a groundswell of support from the fanbase.
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To keep a long story short, the Sixers are a mess. A mess no one can properly gauge when it comes to postseason expectations. On paper, Philadelphia still has the talent and physicality to compete for a spot in the Finals. When one looks over the roster and examines the circumstances in greater detail, however, it’s difficult to inspire confidence.
The Sixers have the widest range of possible outcomes of any team left in the 2019-20 season. It’s not hard to imagine Philadelphia getting booted in the first round — possibly even in four or five games. It’s also not hard to imagine Philadelphia giving Milwaukee a real test in the conference finals.
As the resumption of NBA play nears, here is where experts from around the basketball world rank the Sixers.
Andy Bailey, Bleacher Report: 9th
"“If the Sixers go with [Shake Milton over Al Horford], the offensive issues could be alleviated. This season, Philadelphia scored 116.6 points per 100 possessions (93rd percentile) when Simmons and Embiid were on the floor without Al Horford.” (Andy Bailey/Bleacher Report)"
John Schuhmann, NBA.com: 13th
"“The last five games (the stretch in which they’ve been without both Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid) haven been both the Sixers’ best offensive stretch (122.4 points scored per 100 possessions) and their worst defensive stretch (122.2 allowed per 100) of the season.” (John Schuhmann/NBA.com) *written prior to win over Detroit on March 11*"
ESPN: 13th
"“If there is a positive takeaway from the [Sixers’ most recent road] trip (besides Shake Milton vs. the Clippers), it is the play of Glenn Robinson III. In the losses to the Lakers and Warriors, Robinson III averaged 20 points on 14-of-20 from the field and 5-of-7 from 3.” (Bobby Marks/ESPN)"
Kurt Helin, NBC Sports: 12th
"“With Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons out, the 76ers defense has fallen apart, worst in the NBA over the last five games. That was expected, what wasn’t expected was Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson stepping up and getting Philly to play its best offense of the season over those same five games.” (Kurt Helin/NBC Sports)"
Michael Shapiro, Sports Illustrated: 12th
"“Need a silver lining for Philadelphia? Perhaps Al Horford is finding his rhythm. The former Celtics big man has been a disappointment this season, but he posted an outrageous +41 against the Kings on March 5, then tallied a 22-point double-double against Golden State. The Sixers will need this version of Horford to stay alive past the first round of the Eastern Conference standings.” (Michael Shapiro/Sports Illustrated)"
It seems the Sixers have a pretty consistent home in the power rankings. The 9-13 range is a pretty fair spectrum — contenders, for sure, but not exactly title favorites. The Sixers have a wealth of talent and potential, but injuries and inconsistency have certainly impacted Philadelphia’s reputation.
There is one important note to make. Only one site published its power rankings after the NBA’s three-month hiatus: Bleacher Report. They have the Sixers higher than anyone else — ninth — and an obvious factor is Ben Simmons, who was previously injured and expected to miss significant time. The extended break has given Simmons a chance to heal, and he will presumably finish out the regular season in Orlando.
With a healthy roster finally in tact, Philadelphia could find some level of stability in Orlando. It’s difficult to proceed with any level of certainty due to the extremity of the circumstances — what if Embiid comes back out of shape? What if Simmons re-aggravates his back? What if… — but the Sixers could stand to benefit more than the average team from a long break. With that said, Philadelphia will no longer have home-court advantage, so there are forces both positive and negative at work.
Next. 15 greatest seasons in franchise history. dark
For now, all we can do is wait and see.