NBA power rankings: Sixers surging with one month left

With roughly one month left in the NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers are 39-17. That puts them on track for the franchise’s best win percentage since 1984-85. It also puts them in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed, with a 1.5-game lead over Brooklyn and a relatively easy stretch of games to close the season.

Riding a fairly impressive three-game win streak, the Sixers are looking more and more like real contenders. Joel Embiid has a solid case for MVP, Ben Simmons may win Defensive Player of the Year, and Tobias Harris is playing the best basketball of his career. There’s a lot of positive momentum under new head coach Doc Rivers.

Here’s a survey of NBA power rankings around the league. Where do the Sixers stand?

Sixers NBA power rankings: ESPN — 1st

"“The past seven days were massive for the Sixers, who moved a full three games clear of the Nets (including tiebreakers) for the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 16 games to play. That gives Philadelphia the inside track to claim that top spot — and thus only having to beat either Brooklyn or Milwaukee to advance out of the Eastern Conference playoffs” — Tim Bontemps"

Sixers NBA power rankings: Bleacher Report — 2nd

"“Philadelphia’s length and speed allow for its defense to suffocate teams. With Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle on the court together, the Sixers can wreck offenses. The Sixers have a defensive rating of 101.9 when the pair is on the court. It was evident in the Clippers game with their ability to rotate and recover back to their man.” — Mo Dakhil"

Sixers NBA power rankings: NBA.com — 1st

"“The Sixers probably let the shorthanded Nets hang around for too long on Wednesday, but they got the win they needed to take control of the top seed in the East. And it was one of three wins against good teams missing good players last week, improving the Sixers to 16-12 in games played between the 15 teams that are currently over .500. They’re 9-1 against that group (the only loss came in the final seconds in Portland) when they’ve had their full starting lineup.” — John Schuhmann"

Sixers NBA power rankings: Hoops Habit — 1st

"“Joel Embiid is back and he heard that there may be a new MVP favorite because of his injury issues. That was a personal insult to him and he is back to statistical dominance. In three games this week, he averaged 37.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He will be the first one to tell you that he plays both sides of the ball at a high level. If this is the level of play Embiid is going to bring to the table over the next month, the race for the MVP is far from over.” — Corey Rausch"

To put it plainly, the Sixers are in good shape. Philadelphia is universally considered one of the NBA’s top teams, which has been the case all season. This past week, or so, has cemented the Sixers’ status. A lot can change in the next 30 days, but Joel Embiid looks unstoppable and Philadelphia has the NBA’s most intimidating defense.

Whether or not the Sixers can win a championship on defense is yet to be seen, but the energy around this team is remarkably strong. Confidence is high in the locker room, and with Brooklyn struggling to keep its core on the floor, it’s hard not to consider Philadelphia’s chances. This core has been together, Embiid can wreck any defense, and Philadelphia is better equipped than any other team to defend Brooklyn. If nothing else, the Sixers have at least made the discourse interesting.

A reasonably strong finish the campaign could leave Philadelphia in the top spot in a lot of power rankings going into the playoffs. Power rankings are ultimately unimportant — the Nets are still clear favorites in the East, for example — but there’s something to be said for positive momentum and a strong regular season resume. The Sixers are No. 1 for a reason.