As of writing, the Philadelphia 76ers are still in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Technically, they remain in the running to clinch homecourt advantage in the first-round of the playoffs, but with four games distancing them from the fourth seed currently occupied by the Cavaliers, it is unlikely that they will be able to close the gap.
Not enjoying homecourt advantage, however, may not affect this 76ers team all that much. After all, they have somehow turned in a better record playing away from the Xfinity Mobile Arena. They only have a 15-15 win-loss card at home compared to 17-11 on the road through 58 games, which makes them a much more competent team when they play the role of visitors.
Having a middling record on your own home floor is certainly not ideal, especially in the regular season, due to the slim margins in the standings. However, their attendant acuity when it comes to playing on the road is bound to help give them a higher ceiling as a collective when the playoffs start rolling.
The 76ers being a good team on the road will help them a lot in the playoffs
It is likely that the 76ers will be starting all of their playoff series on the road. That would usually be a handicap for most teams, but their ability to come out strong away from home will be a huge asset. Just winning one game on the road has massive repercussions on the outlook of a playoff series.
Of course, being a subpar team when it comes to defending homecourt could easily negate their perceived edge on the road, but Philly has a hostile environment for visiting teams anyway. There is a good chance for the worm to turn in that regard when the postseason commences.
Given their most likely matchups right out of the gates, the 76ers will constantly be the underdogs in all series they bill be a part of. But as everyone knows, this team has more than enough talent to make a deep playoff run as long as they are healthy, which makes them the biggest wildcard in the postseason picture.
That is precisely why it is all the more important that they get the necessary advantages to get a leg up on their competition, even if that is in the form of a strange dynamic that is usually detrimental during the regular season, such as playing much better on the road than at home.