The Philadelphia 76ers have been showing good signs as of late, but there’s no denying that they are way far from where they want to be, especially at this point. An 8-16 record simply does not qualify as a good start by any measure, and at some point, you have to wonder whether or not the team can still manage to close the deficit and even sniff the playoffs.
So far, the 76ers have had an average strength of schedule, even flirting towards the easier of slates compared to other teams. The team simply has not gotten much juice and mileage out of their stars, especially their Big Three — all of which have already missed considerable time due to their respective injuries.
Whether they like it or not, the only way for the 76ers to get into a record above .500 is for them to make a big run and carve out a long winning streak. They have been unable to do that this season, but it would be crucial if they want to get into the postseason picture — something that seems farfetched for now.
The fate of the 76ers could be decided by January
For the next three weeks, the schedule seems to be very conducive for the 76ers to mount a big climb in the standings. While it seems rich for the 76ers to deem any opponent as an easy matchup given their woeful win-loss card, a brief glance at their upcoming slate should be enough to make fans hopeful.
Over that period, Philadelphia will be taking on eight opponents which did not make the playoffs this season, six of those currently touting a losing record (including San Antonio, which has a .500 record so far).
The 76ers will be taking on the Wizards, Nets, Jazz, the very hobbled Pelicans, Kings, Hornets, Trailblazers, and Warriors. As long as health permits, the team should like its chances against all of those teams, especially if they can build on their more impressive showings recently.
Philly will be facing a steeper schedule after that, so they should try to maximize the easier part fo the schedule and start racking up wins to bolster their record. Otherwise, they could lose their only clear opportunity to make a big leap.
For that, their season could very well be determined in the middle of next month. Hopefully, the flip of the calendar would serve as a great change of air for the Philadelphia 76ers.