The Philadelphia 76ers made the best overall moves this offseason and everyone knows it. In fact, the newest edition of the annual NBA GM Survey also had league executives hailing the team as having turned in the best summer in the league. Now, the lofty expectations surrounding the squad are firmer than ever, and more importantly, this team is already running out of excuses to not deliver before the regular season actually begins.
Philly turned in a respectable campaign last season, all things considered, but the consensus around the league was that the franchise's window to win a championship in the Joel Embiid era was already on its final leg. Well, the newly revamped front office made sure to forcibly extend that opening by bringing in LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and other coveted role players.
NBA GM Survey crown leaves 76ers zero room for mistakes this season
While the 76ers now have the most robust amount of raw talent in the league, fans and pundits alike are approaching this team with guarded curiosity, if not outright caution. The most loaded teams in the league do not always pan out and end up winning the title, but more importantly, there remain some points of concern with the squad even after accounting for their flashy additions.
Health is the foremost question mark with this group. The 76ers are a common hotspot for injuries for some reason, and even if only one of their star players gets injured, that could very well be a death knell for their title hunt. After all, this team is operating at a familiarity and chemistry deficit compared to other teams projected to be in the title hunt.
On the hardwood, there are other areas that are quite nebulous for the 76ers. There are valid concerns over this team possibly being less than the sum of its parts. After all, there are bound to be diminishing returns when high-usage stars are bought together. Defensively, this group has some easily discernible weak points, especially at the rim. Their three-point shooting can be quite shaky. They are still probably vulnerable when it comes to the backup center position.
Still, despite these question marks, GMs around the league did not overthink hailing the 76ers as the team with the best offseason, and that reflects the prevailing sentiment about the squad. This team has way too much talent that even if it does not hit every single one of its on-court targets, it is still bound to excel by virtue of the sheer star power it boasts.
The 76ers are so loaded that they do not have the luxury of having excuses if they do not reach their goal. That will put them in a blender all season long, but pressure is one thing that cannot deter them. After all, aside from having a boatload of talent, the stars headlining them also tout a blitzkrieg of experience and hunger.
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