The majority of people reading this headline will laugh. As a Philadelphia 76ers fan, I am painfully aware that we finished last place in the NBA last year at a record of 10-72, the second worst record in NBA history (the first worst, ironically, was also by the Sixers in 1973). Not only were we historically bad this season but we have also been bad the past several seasons, being among the worst teams in the league and not even coming close to making the playoffs since 2012. But this is the turning point.
Coach Nick of BBALLBREAKDOWN thinks we'll be the most fun team in the NBA this year, but I'll go farther and say we'll make the playoffs this year.
Needless to say, we have a substantial amount of great talent coming in. The Olympic basketball competitions have flashed the potential of 6'10" 2014 draft pick, Dario Saric of Croatia, who is finally joining the team this season. Offensively, the sky is the limit, as he is a gifted passer and ball-handler, proven rebounder, and great spot-up three point shooter. Rather than a typical forward, his ball handling makes him a point forward who runs the offense in the fast break. Like most Philly athletes, he has shown himself to be tough, as he lost six teeth in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and kept playing. Although he has a little room for improvement on the defense, his game-winning block in Croatia's upset of Spain leaves us hopeful.
And Saric is not the only good passer and point forward to join the team this fall—Australian Ben Simmons, the first pick of last year's draft. Simmons is a talent so exceptional that he has been likened to Lebron James. He is a player that can play and defend all five positions on the court, who the Sixers even say will start at point guard in some games. It's not surprising to see why he's compared to Lebron: he's an unselfish ball handler, elite rebounder, and extremely athletic. With both him and Saric on the court at the same time, opposing defenses have reason to be scared. Just look at these no-look passes.
In addition, we have Joel Embiid, the third pick of the 2014 NBA draft playing for the team after being injured the past two years. Since Embiid will have a heavy minutes restriction to avoid further injury, his impact this year will likely be limited. But this is a dude who only started playing basketball at 16 after planning on being a volleyball player, so he has much room for improvement. His skillset is reminiscent of Hakeem Olajuwon, a former MVP and Hall of Famer. He supports my outlandish prediction that before 2020, we will be the dominant team in the East and championship contenders.
Obviously, Embiid's presence on the roster brings certain problems, as we have three very talented young players playing the same position (Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel). This is known as a logjam, and unfortunately the only way to alleviate this is to trade one of them, likely either Okafor or Noel. Noel's athletic, defense-oriented skillset suits the pick and roll and transition games of Simmons and Saric, so I'd prefer if he stayed on the team.
There's a much bigger chance going into the season that we won't make the playoffs despite our strong talent. The three players I went in depth into are rookies, so we don't know how well their strengths will translate into the NBA. The seasoned mediocre veterans that signed with the team this year, namely Jerryd Bayless, Gerald Henderson, and Sergio Rodriguez, are unlikely to single-handedly will the team into the playoffs of a now strong eastern conference.
But the talent on the team, which seemed far away and laughable before, is here now. Not only that, but these players and this roster embody the toughness of their city that won't ever go away. Even if my bold prediction doesn't hold true, this team will only improve in years to come, and as Lebron James gets older, I think it's a modest prediction to say that in a couple years, we will be the best team in the league.
The best vote of confidence we have is from Hall of Famer and former Sixer Charles Barkley who said, "I think the Sixers got a chance at making the playoffs...I really do."
