The Philadelphia 76ers have been fading fast as the postseason approaches. Losing a top-five player like Joel Embiid will do this to any team, as those players aren't replaceable.
The Sixers have dropped to seventh in the Eastern Conference at 36-29, meaning they could very well be in the play-in tournament. Philadelphia has undergone a considerable amount of change over the last year, ushering out Doc Rivers and James Harden, while bringing in Nick Nurse, Kelly Oubre, and Buddy Hield at the deadline.
The team ranks outside of the top-ten in both offensive and defensive rating and could have a difficult path in the postseason, for several reasons. Let's take a look at what could haunt them.
4. Undersized backcourt
The Sixers have a very small backcourt, as they don't have size at the guard position across the board. Kyle Lowry is just 6-feet tall, Tyrese Maxey is just 6-foot-2, and De'Anthony Melton is just 6-foot-3.
This presents challenges, as it pertains to playing defense, since so many of the league's top guards and wings have size and length to shoot over the Suxers. On the flip side, this could make it more challenging for the Sixers' players to get going offensively, and they could always see a hand in their face.
Not to mention having the size/length to recover defensively when blown by by the Sixers' guards.