How do experts view the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of this month’s NBA re-start?
A month ago, we scoured power rankings from around the internet and accumulated them into a single article to dissect where the Philadelphia 76ers commonly landed. With the NBA’s re-start on the horizon, and many sites posting new and refreshed power rankings, it’s worthy of a revisit.
The Sixers are sleepers to some and overrated to others. It’s difficult to find a consensus on such a strange and ill-fitted team. From a talent perspective, few teams in the NBA can truthfully compete with the Sixers. When that talent struggles to function in unison, however, things get dicey. The Sixers have played down to their competition virtually all season. Especially away from home.
Unfortunately for Philadelphia, the rest of the NBA season will take place away from home. It’s not under usual circumstances — there won’t be an away crowd either — but the Sixers’ success this season has been rooted in the Wells Fargo Center. It’s valid to question whether or not they can survive a months-long escapade to Orlando.
Nonetheless, most pundits seem to view the Sixers in a favorable light. For the first time all season, Philadelphia is healthy. All five starters — whomever they may be — are expected to operate at full capacity. No injuries, aside from Zhaire Smith’s bone bruise, currently impact the roster. That’s important, and it’s a luxury that’s been all too elusive for Philadelphia in recent years. If further injuries are avoided, confidence in their championship pursuit should spike.
Here’s where the experts rank Philadelphia as the Disney World experience approaches.
ESPN: 7th
"“As Brown admitted during a recent interview, the Sixers haven’t figured out how to mesh Horford and Joel Embiid together, as the numbers with both of them on the court — as well as with Simmons — bear out. Horford’s nagging knee injury has had time to heal, and the playoff games he was signed to play in are around the corner. If Philly is to reach its ceiling, it will need to figure out how to get the best out of him.” (Tim Bontemps/ESPN)"
Colin Ward-Henninger, CBS Sports: 7th
"“The Sixers hit the schedule jackpot, which should give them every opportunity to move up from the No. 6 spot in the East. They lead off with the Pacers, who may or may not have Victor Oladipo, then they get a run of five straight teams under .500. This means that Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the Sixers could start their Orlando season at 6-0 and build some serious momentum heading into the playoffs.” (Colin Ward-Henninger/CBS Sports)"
Kurt Helin, NBC Sports: 10th
"Philadelphia is one of the teams that benefits the most from the coronavirus-forced break — they get a healthy Ben Simmonsback from his back issues, and adding an All-Star to the starting lineup makes the team better. The issue remains shooting, which is why it is expected Brett Brown will bring Al Horford off the bench and start Shake Milton with Simmons, Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, and Joel Embiid — but that five has played zero minutes together this season. Are eight seeding games enough for the Sixers to settle into a rotation that works? If so, this is a dangerous team in the East. (Kurt Helin/NBC Sports)"
John Schuhmann, NBA.com: 12th
"“The Sixers could be the biggest wildcard in Orlando, the team with the widest range between its floor and its ceiling. At home, they were 18-2 against the other 21 teams still playing, including 8-0 against the league’s top seven. On the road, they were 4-21 against the larger group, including 1-9 against the top seven.” (John Schuhmann/NBA.com)"
In the last month, the Sixers have experienced a steady increase in confidence from those who cover the league. Last time around, only one of the five power rankings will polled had Philadelphia in the top-10. Now only one of four has them outside the top-10.
Any easy schedule in Orlando, combined with the improved health of Ben Simmons, seems to be the main reason for Philadelphia’s move up in the power rankings. While I’m still more skeptical than most, there’s more than enough talent on the Sixers roster to compete for a championship this season.
The cards will fall where they will, and no one can — with any certainty — predict the health situation in Orlando. Beyond the risk of COVID-19, players have been away from basketball for three months. A heightened injury risk is very possible. So, while things seem favorable for Philadelphia at the moment, there are too many variables to protect with any real confidence.
In short, take these rankings — and any optimism floating around the Sixers fandom — with a grain of salt. We don’t know how this is going to go. No one does.