The Philadelphia 76ers are the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference, but Bleacher Report predicts they'll drop even further.
Entering Tuesday's matchup against the Denver Nuggets, the Philadelphia 76ers are the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 37-31.
The 76ers are still without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Kelly Oubre Jr., so emerging victorious against the Nuggets appears unlikely. The same can be said about any of their upcoming games, as winning shorthanded is never an easy task.
Because of the key absences in their rotation, Bleacher Report predicts the 76ers will sink to the No. 10 seed in the East. However, it's not all bad news, as the article also predicts Philadelphia will claw its way out of the Play-In Tournament and frighten its first-round opponent.
"Tyrese Maxey has a hurt finger. Paul George is still suspended. And Joel Embiid is Joel Embiid. It could be a while before Philadelphia is whole again," B/R's Zach Buckley wrote. "Very possibly long enough for the Sixers to find themselves stuck in the 10th seed and needing two road wins in two tries to escape the Play-In Tournament."
Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse. © Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesAs strange as it sounds, the 76ers have the potential to be the most talented Play-In Tournament team of all-time. If Maxey, Embiid, George, and Oubre return prior to the elimination games, it's hard to imagine them not escaping with the No. 8 seed and a postseason slot.
The problem is the "if" in the previous sentence is a big one.
The injury bug has plagued Philadelphia's season once again, so there's no telling if the 'Big Three' will be healthy when it matters most. Although guard Quentin Grimes and company have been keeping the team afloat, the 76ers stand no chance in a playoff series without Maxey and Embiid in the lineup.
If the 76ers manage to make it to the first round of the postseason, it's likely their opponent will be either the Detroit Pistons or the Boston Celtics.
The 76ers-Nuggets game tips off at 10 PM ET Tuesday night in Ball Arena.
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