How will the Sixers overcome the East’s new superteam?

The Nets have assembled the newest NBA superteam. How can the Sixers overcome it?

Picture it: a five-year-old running down the steps early on Saturday morning. Onesie half zipped, exposing a smooth brown chest devoid of man hair, holes in the knees from running around the house playing with family members, reenacting moves from WWF Summerslam, whisking past the rooms where aunts and uncles slept to get to the television before anyone else. Check the time: 6:57am. Three minutes before the best cartoon ever starts to play its introductory music, signifying its arrival to young ears. A quick trip to the kitchen to net a bowl of Lucky Charms, drenched with milk, doused with more sugar (As if the marsh mellows wasn’t enough) and to the sofa to grab the remote and turn on the television.

Euphoria courses through his young body as the theme song blares through the television speakers. Seven o’ clock where? This has to be turned up! Down goes the bowl of diabetes and imaginary battle mode is activated. Kicks, punches, roundhouse kicks, cartwheels, front rolls, all make their presence known on the living room floor as the theme music plays. To him, he is doing everything, if not perfect, then better than the characters he sees. To the rest of the house, it sounds like city workers using drills to dig up the street for construction.

“Voltron! Defender of the Universe!”. He was too. Though only five, this is his calling for the world. And nothing was going to change that.

Except life.

Okay, so maybe it didn’t work out how I thought. But it’s a good memory, nonetheless. Voltron was one of my favorite cartoons growing up. Later on, it transferred over to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Same premise, different decade. Five people chosen to defend the galaxy from ruthless intruders’ intent on destroying earth. Their fighting machines combining together to form a giant size mechanical soldier that will fend off the bad guys and save the day.

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The NBA has created their own version of this storyline within the last decade, starting with the progenitor of the superteam craze, LeBron James, leaving Cleveland to form an alliance with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. Followed up by Golden State with Kevin Durant joining forces with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. NBA franchises have been locked in a tug of war since 2010 to combine the best talent humanly possible to make a run at a championship a little easier.

Well, let’s welcome the newest franchise to the superteam invitational: The Brooklyn Nets, who went all in this week to acquire James Harden from Houston in exchange for their soul and whatever else that could be sold at the gates of basketball damnation. Now, three of the game’s most talented scorers will roam the courts in the East, giving coaches headaches on how to begin with defending Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving. Durant is enough by himself, and will go down as maybe the greatest scorer this game has ever seen, and to flank him with another MVP in Harden, and a player in Irving who has one of the signature clutch playoff moments in history? There’s no reason why Brooklyn shouldn’t hold up the Larry O’ Brien trophy this June…. or whenever we get there should COVID want to crash the season again.

So, what does this mean for our beloved Philadelphia 76ers? Well, it means that this season is over! There’s no way that they can beat this collection of otherworldly talent with a guy who won’t shoot, a big man who needs shooters, and a coach who blows leads in the playoffs.

Just kidding.

Actually, the season is not lost. The Sixers have a real chance to knock off this burgeoning juggernaut

Why?

Chemistry issues. That’s the biggest worry of many NBA insiders regarding the pairing of Harden with Irving and Durant. Three alphas that need the ball in volume to really do damage. For Durant, his ability to play off the ball and get to his spots on the court helps out tremendously. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands all the time. That’s what made Durant’s time in Golden State so enjoyable to watch. He doesn’t take away from anything to get his numbers.

Harden and Irving, however, is a different story. Both need the ball to be highly effective. Harden has been the primary ball handler throughout his career in Houston. He hasn’t shown anything other than that, though his numbers are monstrous. Irving needs the same, and this will be a test of how far he has come as a point guard. For all of his offensive magic, Kyrie for his career averages 5.7 assists per game, never averaging more than seven assists in any season thus far.

Then, there is the defensive side of the ball. Durant has improved greatly on this end during his time in Golden State, averaging a career high in blocks, and contributing to the Warriors defense ranking in the top ten in their run to five straight NBA Finals. Harden used to be a solid defender in Oklahoma City, but that ship sailed long ago once he touched down in Houston. Irving has never been a great defender, though he shows rare flashes against other top guards. Brooklyn already was having defensive issues in the beginning of this season. That will be the glaring problem that Steve Nash and his coaching staff will have to address.

The Sixers can beat this team if the above-mentioned issues persist throughout the season. But they will get it together. Right now, Brooklyn is an unorganized hurricane. Sixers front office must make another move to bring in more firepower to compete with Brooklyn. They will score. And score in bunches. But if the Sixers can match that on the offensive side, while maintaining the edge defensively, Philadelphia has a puncher’s chance come playoff time.

I’ll say it one more time for good measure: Ben Simmons MUST take the next step offensively. Or the Sixers’ puncher’s chance won’t matter in a seven-game series.

Sixers fans, all is not lost. Manufactured championships are the trend today, but they haven’t happened as often as we believe. Synergy still rules in this game, and the Sixers are showing signs of having it. The season has to play out. Anything can happen. Brooklyn has more questions than answers at this moment. They may have the bigger stars…

But the Sixers may have the better team.

Sometimes the stars don’t align as everyone expects. Ask Dallas when everyone thought the 2011 NBA finals was a coronation to the reign of the Heatles.

Dirk and company postponed it for another season.

Buckle up Sixers fans, this is going to be an interesting season.

Yes, Voltron has formed. Another superteam is here.

But as the legendary Andre 3000 once said: “Even the sun goes down, heroes eventually die, horoscopes often lie, and sometimes why, nothing is for sure, nothing is for certain, nothing lasts forever…”

I have a feeling that the Philadelphia 76ers will be alright.