Championship aspiration is the main theme this season for the Philadelphia 76ers, but they will have to go through several tough opponents in the Eastern Conference to even have a shot at the title. The Sixers fans have labelled the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks as their primary antagonists in the East, but there are other squads that could pose an issue for the team this season.
The regular season seeding will be of paramount importance considering that the 76ers are among the top favorites to win it all this year. In any case, if they want to achieve their goals, they will have to beat the likes of Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Indiana. All three of those teams were in a better playoff position than the 76ers last season, and they will likely provide a tough challenge.
In any case, these are the three underappreciated East powerhouses the 76ers should worry about this season.
The Milwaukee Bucks proved to be a tough cover for the 76ers last season
Philadelphia opted to create a strong superstar core consisting of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. Daryl Morey put together the team, adding some veteran depth behind their best players. The Milwaukee Bucks tried to do the same thing this summer after an underwhelming end to their 2024 postseason run.
Milwaukee traded for Damian Lillard last summer, but their bet on the former Portland Trails Blazers star did not produce the expected results. The Bucks ended up being an early first-round exit, with both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard sidelined. This season, things could be different for them with both of their stars injury-free. They also added savvy veterans like Gary Trent Jr. and Delon Wright to improve their bench.
Even against a healthy Bucks squad, the 76ers remain on paper the better team this season. They have a better-constructed roster and superior bench depth. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still a dominant force that can go for 40 and 50 points at any time, while Lillard is expected to recuperate last season's underwhelming production.
Keep in mind that the 76ers will open their 2024-25 campaign against Milwaukee on October 23 in Wells Fargo Center. This should be the first notable challenge for them in a long and demanding season as Philadelphia experienced tough losses in each of the last three games, they faced Milwaukee.