Don’t Sleep On The Sixers
It has been a brutal stretch in Philadelphia sports as of late when it comes to championship contending teams and how their seasons end. The Union lost the MLS Cup, the Phillies lost the World Series, and this past weekend, the Eagles lost the Super Bowl. The Flyers aren’t contenders this season, so they’re not really in this conversation right now, but with football season over, the collective eyes of the city are slowly turning towards the Sixers. The sentiments being voiced, though, are not ones of confidence. When I talk to my friends and people around the city about the Sixers, the overwhelming thought I hear is that this team is ultimately going to disappoint us as well, and that “at least we won’t have to wait until the championship for it”. A lot of people out there are waiting for another vintage Sixers 2nd round exit, and while the track record of this franchise doesn’t refute that, I’m here to tell you not to sleep on the Sixers this season.
I, just like all of you out there in the fan base, was disappointed with what this team did, or rather didn’t do, at the trade deadline this season. Trading Matisse Thybulle for Jalen McDaniels felt more like a lateral move and salary dump than a trade by a contender to give themselves a better shot at winning a championship this season. Signing Dewayne Dedmon on the buyout market isn’t exactly getting me going either. And yet, this team is still super talented and in good shape to make a real run at this thing. The Sixers have two players who have both been top 10 contenders for the NBA MVP at points this season in Joel Embiid and James Harden, and they have some really good depth pieces as well. This isn’t the bubble Sixers, who were not prepared at all to compete at the playoff level. This team is dangerous, and they have been playing really well since overcoming some early injuries to James Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
“But Connor, the Celtics and Bucks are amazing, how can you hope for the Sixers to contend with them in the playoffs?” That’s a fair question, hypothetical reader. The East does look tough at the top, and the Sixers would have to go through the best team in basketball in the Boston Celtics to make it to the Finals, but don’t sell the Sixers short. Their 37-19 record is good for the 4th best mark in all of basketball, even though it has them in the 3 seed in the East. What perhaps is more important is that the teams trailing the Sixers aren’t truly ready to contend yet in the Cavaliers, Heat, Knicks, and the new look Brooklyn Nets. The East is a 3 team race, and the Sixers are very much in that race. Now, I’m not guaranteeing any type of run for Joel Embiid and company; they certainly could be a 2nd round exit again this year. All I’m saying is that we shouldn’t latch on to this Sixers season with a lack of faith in this team. There’s a real chance that they’re giving us our best shot of seeing an NBA title for a long time.
Courtside Photos: Rockets vs Sixers February 13
