Sixers Facing Uphill Battle With NBA Playoff Odds
Amy Fadool brought up a concerning point about the Philadelphia 76ers during her weekly appearance on Kincade & Salciunas.
“It’s getting late early.” –Amy Fadool
The Sixers limped out of the gates at 3-13 with massive disadvantages due to limited availability for Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey. They’re mercifully out of the NBA basement thanks to the lowly Washington Wizards.
However, they’ve officially lost the benefit of the previously existent assumption that the slow start would work itself out when star players returned to the lineup and made everyone forget that the early weeks of the season happened.
NBA Playoff Teams
The playoff format adjustment to include the NBA Play-In Tournament drastically shifted regular-season incentive. Teams must earn top-six seeds to avoid a fickle small sample size of games that could eliminate lower seeds before the true playoff rounds begin.
Basketball Reference lists the Sixers with a 4.2% chance to earn a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference and a 12.9% to earn a top-10 seed.
ESPN’s Basketball Power Index attempts to evaluate circumstances beyond the mathematical probabilities of a team’s record. ESPN lists the Sixers with a 52.7% chance to make the playoffs largely because of their preseason expectations.
However, the objective math inflicted by the rough start paints a concerning picture.
If the Sixers end the regular season on a spectacular streak, they might or might not land within the top six of the Eastern Conference. They won’t, however, finish in the conference’s top three without extremely unforeseen circumstances.
Sixers Face Tough Playoff Odds
The disappointment of seven consecutive playoff exits weighs on Sixers fans. Any optimism following the addition of Paul George has already flown out the door with the brutal start.
Joel Embiid continues to land in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. There is no clear resolution for this seemingly constant web of negativity.
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Even the hypothetical situation of an outrageous 42-24 hot streak to finish the regular season in or near the Eastern Conference six seed would still bring its fair share of skepticism.
The fan base won’t be very optimistic about the chances for an underwhelming regular season to flip a switch and make a run to the NBA Finals. Even the favorable ESPN BPI playoff odds list the Sixers with less than 1% chance of a championship season.
It’s the unfortunate reality created by the nightmare that unfolded at the Wells Fargo Center during the first month of the 2024-25 season.
