The Sixers have a legitimate shot at reaching the NBA finals for the first time since 2001, but the path will not be easy.
Barring a drastic change, Philadelphia will have to play at least one of the Brooklyn Nets or the Milwaukee Bucks to make the Finals. If the Sixers fail to get the number one seed, they will most likely have to play both teams in the playoffs to reach the Finals.
The East is shaping up to be a three-team race between the Sixers, Nets, and Bucks. How do the Sixers stack up against the elites of the East?
Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Milwaukee currently comprise the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference, with a 4.5-game difference between the third-place Bucks and the fourth-place Hawks. Now that the rosters are set post-trade and buyout deadline, let’s take a look at how the Sixers match up with the Nets and Bucks and who has the advantages in different aspects of the game.