With a new power rankings out, it's tough to ignore the 76ers have built a roster to last and keep them within the top ten.
There appears to be another three-year power ranking, this time by ESPN.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been moved all around the board by numerous media outlets. Some have had them high within the top ten, and others, well, they don’t think so highly of the team. ESPN thinks the injuries to Joel Embiid and the age of LeBron James are the start of their downfall. The team’s saving grace is the youth they have injected into this roster.
ESPN ranked the 76ers as the eighth-best team in three years. It’s truly not a bad spot to be in for a team that’s going to be without James and potentially Embiid if he can’t live up to his contract. There’s still plenty to look forward to for the 76ers; they still have at least three stars on the roster. For all intents and purposes, there is a good chance that Jaylen Brown is still with the team, which would give them a huge boost. There are expectations that Tyrese Maxey could play himself into a supermax deal, which would mean that he is definitely one of the young stars still around. He’ll only be 29 at that time.
Then there are the players who were added in the last three years, VJ Edgecombe and Labaron Philon. Both of these guys are destined to be the leaders of this team. They were drafted with high draft capital in hopes that they could lead the team and help them stay in the playoff hunt.
Edgecombe has shown what he can do, and that was just in year one; by year five he’ll be a seasoned veteran, and players will be looking to him for guidance. He could be the guide that Philon needs. Sure, he'll have Maxey to fall back on as they’re both scoring guards, but he could relate more to Edgecombe, as the age difference could be a factor in influence. The other thing that has the 76ers at eight is their cap situation.
For this year they are only 1.89 million under the apron. According to ESPN, going into the next season has them more strapped for cash than ever. If Maxey earns a supermax deal, that would only complicate matters even more.
The hope is that the team can overcome that financial issue and still be powerhouses in the East. While the ranking may not suit many people, it’s a fair assessment for a team that is in win-now mode.
