Philadelphia 76ers Soar in Latest NBA Power Rankings

Most would agree the Philadelphia 76ers are a serious title contender in the Eastern Conference even if they’re unable to sign free agent LeBron James.

This is largely due to the blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics that brought All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George and draft capital. Brown is not only significantly younger than George, but he is widely regarded as a superior player.

Because of the blockbuster deal as well as free agency signings, the 76ers rose significantly in Bleacher Report’s latest NBA power rankings. Philadelphia went from a previous rank of No. 18 up to No. 11. This puts them one spot ahead of the Houston Rockets and one slot behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 76ers are loaded with talent, but it’s a matter of those stars meshing as well as their franchise cornerstone Joel Embiid staying healthy that will determine their success.

There are a lot of mouths to feed on the Sixers' roster between Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Brown, and Joel Embiid. That could work out one of two ways. Either each of the stars will take on more of an unselfish style of play than they're used to, or locker room drama and arguments will ensue. The hope is undoubtedly the former.

Embiid's availability is the other major factor. Sure, a core of Maxey, Brown, and Edgecombe can carry the Sixers through the regular season without much struggle, but Embiid will be needed for making a deep postseason run. The ultimate goal of hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy can only happen with Embiid.

Teams such as the Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, and Denver Nuggets are ranked above the 76ers because their floor is higher, but Philadelphia has one of the highest ceilings in the league.

The combination of offensive talent and defensive prowess is there, but only time will tell if the stars will mesh and Embiid can stay on the floor.

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Anthony Pasciolla is the publisher of 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or followed on X @AnthonyPasci.