The 76ers had to go down to the wire again in their most recent win over the Bulls, ultimately bumping their record up to nine wins and just two losses and remaining seated atop the East. With this victory, they also sustained their undefeated record in clutch games –– a highly impressive feat without a doubt. However, the way this roster is constructed, the fact that most of their outings so far have been so tight is most definitely an issue in and of itself.
Philadelphia is now an immaculate 8-0 in games that go to crunch time. Their eight clutch outings are the most in the league by far. After the game, LeBron James was asked about this group's ability to close out tight games, saying that they simply do not have a panic button. That, however, ignores the underlying problem of this team's inability to win in a more convincing fashion for the most part.
The 76ers have to find a way to start dominating games sooner than later
The group probably deserves to get extended some grace given that they have had one of the most unforgiving slates so far this season, but even against less quality competition, things had to go into the final possessions to decide the victor.
At some point, the 76ers have to be able to impose their clear talent advantage over nearly all teams in the league. That entails starting strong in games and maintaining that level of play for 48 minutes. So far, that has been the biggest issue preventing them from carving out more dominant wins. Instead, they have had to climb out of holes and come back to win.
Well, as entertaining and riveting that may sound, for a team that is not exactly young across the board, that will exhaust them whether they like it or not. It is only early in November, yet they seem to always find themselves in tense moments when their talent level suggests that they should be able to put away teams early.
A win is a win, they say. Well, that remains true, especially in the regular season, but the 76ers should be more than good enough to afford themselves a lot of easier wins. Sure, the ability to finish games strong is a great trait to foster at this juncture, but not if it comes at the risk of them burning out much earlier than expected at this rate.
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