Sixers’ four-game losing streak is no cause for panic

The Philadelphia 76ers have lost four straight and now sit a game behind Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference standings. While such a slippage is never ideal, it’s hardly time for the Sixers — or the fanbase — to panic.

While excuses are too often used to mask real issues, the Sixers do have a solid batch of excuses for the four-game slide. First and most obvious is the ongoing absence of Ben Simmons, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and the Sixers’ lead ball-handler. The Sixers were also without Tobias Harris for two of the four losses, not to mention sporadic absences from Seth Curry, Furkan Korkmaz, and, oh yeah, Joel Embiid.

The Sixers are going through a particularly rough stretch of health issues, which happened to coincide with a particularly bumpy portion of the schedule. Stephen Curry went nuclear, then CP3 took Philadelphia to school. Then, after battling Phoenix down to the wire, the Sixers had to hop on a plane and face the well-rested Bucks on the second night of a back-to-back. Then, two nights later, the Sixers had to play Milwaukee again — this time down both Embiid and Simmons.

Injuries and the strength of schedule makes it difficult to panic about these losses. The Sixers have the easiest schedule in the NBA moving forward, and Ben Simmons should rejoin the team sooner than later. Once healthy and more rested, the Sixers have a pretty clear path to the No. 1 seed. In fact, the most favorable path in the East. Brooklyn has one of the toughest remaining schedules and a slew of more serious injuries to grapple with.

The Sixers are still in prime position to claim the No. 1 seed, and this four-game losing streak hasn’t been without positives.

Despite Philadelphia’s recent slide, there have been several positive indicators when looking ahead to the postseason. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor put it best. Even in losses, the Sixers have received game-changing performances from Matisse Thybulle and George Hill, who figure to play important roles in the playoffs. Thybulle gave Devin Booker hell, then gave Milwaukee trouble when no one else would.

Despite the loss, Philadelphia received a great fourth-quarter performance from Embiid in the Phoenix game. The kind of performance that suggests he can carry the team in big moments. The Sixers have also seen a rejuvenated Tyrese Maxey, who now deserves real consideration for playing time the rest of the way. Multiple individual players have stepped up and proven their mettle, even if the team as a whole has failed to pull out victories.

The Sixers are just fine. The first seed is unusually important this season. The final standings will have real implications on the Sixers’ championship odds, so by no means is a four-game skid inconsequential. That said, Philadelphia is still well-positioned to retake and maintain first place. If the injuries taper off as the schedule eases up, expect the Sixers — led by a candidate for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year — to get back on track.