Here Come The (2022-2023) Sixers!
Waking up this week, it may not feel like it, but it is indeed the start of the most anticipated season of Philadelphia 76ers basketball of the Joel Embiid era. It has been easy to lose track of the Sixers amidst the 6-0 start from the Eagles and the magical run to the NLCS by the Phillies. Heck, even the Union have a playoff game this week that deserves attention from true Philadelphia sports fans. It’s a busy week, and while other games will take precedent, don’t let them totally distract you from what Doc Rivers’ squad is setting out to accomplish, starting with a game in Boston against the Celtics on Tuesday night.
Ok, let’s back track. Did I really just try and slip in that this is the most anticipated season of Joel Embiid’s career? Yes, of course I did. And of course it is. We’re at the point in this saga that every season from this point forward that Embiid is still in his prime becomes the most important and anticipated season yet of this generation of Sixers basketball. That window will one day close, and Philadelphia is desperate to see a championship before it does. Add to that the fact that this may be the deepest team the Sixers have fielded since Embiid came into the league, and it is clear why there is so much excitement surrounding the next 82 plus games. PJ Tucker, DeAnthony Melton, Danuel House, and Montrezl Harrell have created bench depth that has been unheard of in Philly in past seasons, and with a transformed James Harden, budding superstar Tyrese Maxey, and that Embiid guy, this Sixers team is firmly in the “stacked” category. They have the pieces.
Do they have the chemistry, though? That may be the biggest question with this squad. We won’t learn that in Game 1 in Boston against the Celtics, and we won’t learn it in the home opener on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks, but each of the regular season games are important for this new formula of basketball greatness to come together to create that championship team. That is why, even though the regular season doesn’t really matter for NBA teams, all of the 82 games are important to the Sixers for meshing these pieces together. If they do come together like they’re supposed to, there’s a case to be made that this is the deepest team in the entire Association. There are still some familiar storylines: can Embiid stay healthy? How much will Tobias Harris contribute? Can Doc Rivers coach this team to their full potential? But there are also countless new ones that have been and will be developed. Over the next couple months, we will learn plenty more about them, but the wait to START learning about this team is officially over. Roll the basketballs out and get out of the way; here come the Sixers.
