The 76ers are poised for a great season. Sports Illustrated details who they think would lead the pack in the East.
The Eastern Conference Standings have been released.
No, not the real standings; Sports Illustrated has made its predictions, and the Philadelphia 76ers have been placed No. 4 in the Eastern Conference.
Truthfully, that sounds about right considering this is a team with championship aspirations. They have the 76ers predicted to win just under 50 wins, going 49-33. The three teams they have above them are the New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Boston Celtics, in that order. Any of those teams are very capable of being in their respective spots.
Each analyst had a different answer for who they expect to be number one, and no one chose the 76ers. The disrespect will definitely be something that would influence this 76ers team to play at a high level.
But let’s be real here: while the 76ers are a huge favorite to win it all, it really makes sense considering half the starting lineup have yet to play a game together. Remember, this is a prediction based off last season, and while all these players are stars in their own right, they haven’t faced real competition. It’s definitely going to be a learning process for the ones labeled as “super users."
Those particular players are Jaylen. Brown and Tyrese Maxey. These two are offensive specimens that can take the ball anywhere on the court and make something happen. Even though these two have played alongside other superstars and found their role, they could only really produce when they had the ball in their hand. For Brown, his counterpart was Jayson Tatum, and they both had similar styles of play, which is why Brown was more effective when Tatum was on the sideline.
Maxey is a bit of a different case; you have a guy who shared the floor with Joel Embiid and Paul George. He had to learn where to fit in and developed his game along the way. It led to him earning All-NBA honors as his point total increased each year. Now, these two have to learn to coexist with LeBron James, Embiid, and Edgecombe all on the same floor. It’s the hope that James can get everyone on the same page that could help them get to those protected 49 wins.
Embiid has to be healthy, and Edgecombe will have to assume the role that Maxey had in his early years with the 76ers. Being fourth in the Eastern Conference is still a great spot for the team. They don’t have to deal with a play-in and could settle down and prepare for whoever they face.
It’ll be great to see Philadelphia do better than what was projected, but it won’t matter as long as it leads to a playoff appearance.
