The Eastern Conference have no clear-cut favorites to represent them in the Finals, but given how inconsistent they have been, the Philadelphia 76ers are probably not even on the short list of real championship contenders right now. They have been alternating between immpressive wins and baffling losses in the last couple of weeks, making them more like a wild card instead of a definitive top team.
Another team which is on the same page as them is the New York Knicks, a team which had cooled off quite harshly after an impressive start. Still, as shown by their recent win over the 76ers, they are probably the better team at this point in time. Unfortunately, the gap between both teams, while not as robust as it was last season, could have some more distance if the Knicks get to successfully trade for Jrue Holiday as the rumors indicate.
As Marc Stein recently reported, New York has registered some degree of interest in the former All-Star guard, having explored pathways to acquire him before the trade deadline. If that materializes, the Knicks could very well be the definitive favorites to win the East while hopefuls like the 76ers can only stare at them from below.
The 76ers better hope the Knicks don’t trade for Jrue Holiday
Holiday, a two-time NBA champion with the Bucks and Celtics and a six-time All-Defensive Team member, is probably one of the best floor-raisers in the league. He complements most star players well with his tenacious defense, reliable shot creation, efficient playmaking, and basketball IQ. He is also a known playoff performer.
As such, those traits going to New York will only bolster their case to win the conference this season. That is definitely something the 76ers do not want to see given that they are the ones doing the chasing at the present.
The Knicks have had a lot of issues with their backcourt defense this season, and trading for Holiday would solve that problem quickly. That is actually an area where the 76ers can take advantage of in a head-to-head matchup with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe propelling them, but having the veteran as a backcourt stopper will make Philly easier to stop and turn into a predictable bunch on the scoring end.
The 76ers have issues of their own so they cannot really twiddle their fingers and look too intently on what the others are doing. However, since this directly affects their chances at glory come postseason time, they should definitely be one of the teams hoping that the Knicks do not pull off this wild trade.