The Philadelphia 76ers currently hold the second-worst record of any team in the East. Just let that sink in. The Sixers, with two future Hall of Famers and a stellar young guard duo, have a better record than only the Washington Wizards. That is a nightmare scenario for the Sixers. Whether it’s a rash of various injuries, locker room leaks containing sensitive information being made public, or unclear rotations, not much has gone right for this team.
For a team to have playoff aspirations and then fall this far in the standings is nothing less than a failure this far into the year. Yet that does not mean that this season is a wash. The NBA year isn’t even a quarter of the way done, and the Sixers certainly have the star power to turn it around.
The Law of Averages
The Sixers dynamic trio of Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid have only played one game together this season. In this game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Paul George only played for 8 minutes due to injury, and Tyrese Maxey was only able to play for 20 minutes recovering from injury. On one hand, the fact that their one game together was defined by injuries is concerning. However, if you’re a glass-half-full type of fan, then you can see the potential for a serious comeback this season.
Assuming, hoping, and praying that this 19-game stretch where the Sixers have seen their most important players share the court for mere seconds is the worst luck possible, then it can be assumed, hoped, and prayed that the worst has already come and gone. The law of averages states that in any given data set, the worst and the best will both eventually exist. With the worst hopefully behind them, Sixers fans may finally have hope that the Sixers will rebound.
Reasons for Hope
It’s also not been all bad during this tumultuous time for the Sixers. Guerschon Yabusele has been extremely consistent and has proven to be the most valuable contract in the league. Caleb Martin has shown off his ability to do the little things right. And, of course, Jared McCain has announced himself, loudly, as the best rookie in the entire 2024 draft class.
Combine that with the fact that championship-winning head coach Nick Nurse has now had 19 games to really examine the new pieces in his arsenal who may not have cracked the rotation with all the stars playing, and the Sixers may just surprise casual fans who have already written off the Sixers.
Sixers: The Underdogs
While this season may not be off to the most ideal start in franchise history, folks have seen what happens when a professional sports league starts to underestimate the power of a Philadelphia-based organization. Last year, Sixers fans and the NBA finally got to see what a mostly healthy Joel Embiid looked like in the playoffs. He averaged 33.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists a game against the Knicks.
Add in Maxey, who has become nothing short of a leader over his years in Philadelphia, and Paul George, one of the best two-way wings in the league, and the Sixers could make some serious noise in the Eastern Conference come playoff time. If the Sixers are able to rebound from this tough start to the year, that’s a big if they should be playing with the biggest chip on their shoulder and more heart on their sleeve than previously seen in the Joel Embiid era.
