Coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Philadelphia 76ers have completely flipped the switch as they currently sit 4-0 throught their first four games. With Joel Embiid returning and the addition of VJ Edgecombe, the team had some hope to see more success this season, but they’ve obliterated expectations already. 

By their fourth win last season, the Sixers already had 14 losses. To now be at four victories already without a single loss is not only encouraging, but almost unbelievable. The talent on their roster has always been clear, but even when they had players healthy, they couldn’t seem to find a rhythm last year.

Additionally, three of their four wins likely would have been losses in years past, as they came back in the fourth quarter in each of those games. Most notably, in their last game against the Washington Wizards, they came back from a 19-point deficit in the third quarter. 

Even throughout the fourth quarter, the game looked like a justifiable loss as the Wizards shot the ball well, and it was clear that Philadelphia was tired in their second game of a back-to-back. It takes a special team to be able to persist and continue to fight back even when down by double-digits late in the game. 

Stephen A. Smith Sets the Bar High for Philadelphia After Impressive Start

This Sixers team has been so impressive thus far, that ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith thinks they could be title contender if they keep this up. “With Embiid healthy, with those two brothers (Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe) they can contend for the title."

Behind the Sixers’ four-straight wins to start the season has been an unbelievable effort by their backcourt, including Quentin Grimes off the bench. Much of the spotlight has been on Maxey and Edgecombe, who are averaging a combined 59.8 PPG through four games, but Grimes has now saved the day multiple times for Philadelphia. 

Hitting a game-winning three against the Hornets, and a game-tying three against the Wizards, Grimes has been nothing but clutch this season. He’s also averaging an impressive 17.8 PPG off the bench so far, continuing to strengthen his case for Sixth Man of the Year. 

Because of this success from the Sixers’ backcourt, they’ve been able to win these games without the full impact of Embiid. Already sitting in one game due to load management, and playing 23 minutes or less in all three of his games, Embiid has been gradually getting back into action. 

The beauty of this is that despite Embiid not having his full impact, the team has found ways to win without him, which is something they’ve struggled with in years past. Much of Embiid’s wear and tear in the playoffs has been due to the effort he has to give in the regular season. 

If they can continue to not rely on their big man to win games, he will have a good chance at truly saving his body for the playoffs for the first time in his career. This is especially true if Maxey can continue playing at an MVP-level.

Currently averaging 37.5 PPG this season, it’s obviously not sustainable, but it’s a great sign that he hasn’t slowed down yet this year. In fact, he entered the game against Washington averaging 37.0 PPG, and his numbers went up. To make these absurd scoring numbers even more impressive, he’s also averaging 8.3 assists per game, displaying his incredible impact on the offense, even when he’s not scoring.

With Jared McCain and Paul George still yet to return, Philadelphia's depth will only continue to get better over the next couple of weeks. If they can use this to their advantage, they could very well keep Embiid as healthy as possible, and make a run for the championship.