The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA. The franchise has won three National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (1955, 1967, 1983) and has advanced to the NBA finals on nine occasions and many fans believe that this year they will make an appearance number 10.
The Wells Fargo Center has witnessed many big NBA Playoff games in its history since it replaced the Spectrum as the home arena of the 76ers. Fortunately for Fargo Center and the Sixers fan base, the rough 5-year drought has finally come to an end. Stephen A. Smith admits on ESPN’s First Take that he is a fan of the Sixers and continued saying that “76ers are going to the Eastern Conference Finals!’’.
Even though he was wrong many times before, I want to believe him on this one.
And why not? The Philadelphia 76ers are playing really well and are on a hot streak. They matched a franchise record with their 14th consecutive victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday and they look like they can’t wait for the NBA Playoffs to start! And who can blame them? If we look at the odds, the second youngest squad in the league (24.7 average age, PHO 24.5) is the number 5th favorite to win the NBA Playoffs this year with +2000 (behind GSW +120, Rockets +170, Cavaliers +600 and Raptors +850).
Coach Brett Brown and his staff deserve a lot of praise for the job they are doing this season. They were patient with their future franchise players (Embiid, Simmons, and Fultz) and they didn’t want to rush anything. That turned out to be the best move they could possibly make. Now, the puzzle is solved and this three are leading the team.
For me, the real leader on this team is a 21-year-old Australian PG, Ben Simmons. Simmons is playing like this is his 10th year in the NBA and not his rookie year. When Chris Haynes, ESPN writer, asked him who would he pick to win the Rookie Of The Year Award he said “Who would I pick? Me, 100 percent.”
Many NBA fans say that he is maybe too confident but the bookies are backing him, making him the -200 favorite to win the ROY Award in front of Donovan Mitchell (+200), Jayson Tatum (+2000), Kyle Kuzma (+2500) and so on… He is averaging 16 PPG (0-11 3P), 8.2 APG, 8.1 RPG and 20.23 PER and he is a 6’ 10’’ pass first PG. In a few years, if he develops (the same thing is with Fultz) his mid-range and 3P shot, he will be a BIG problem.
But, he is not the only one who is having a great season. Joel Embiid is averaging a double-double this season with 22 PPG, 11 RPG, and 1.8 BLKPG. Currently, he is injured but he will be ready when the Playoffs start. Last year, when Simmons was out and with his minutes limited, he showed that he is a leader. He is loud, he is making a presence and he showed that he is not afraid of anybody. Most importantly, that he is hungry for success.
Simmons and Joel are leaders on this Philadelphia 76ers team but we cannot ignore the rest of the team and the way how they are playing this season. JJ Redick, the vet from Duke, is averaging 17 PPG, 3 APG, 46% when shooting from the field and 41% behind the 3 PT line. Interestingly, his teams always made it to the postseason, so this will be his 12th chance to win the ring. This was one of the reasons why the Sixers paid him 23 million $ for one year. They wanted him to be the piece they desperately needed. A silent leader with plenty of experience in the NBA Playoffs.
The same cannot be said for Dario Saric, Robert Covington, Marco Belinelli and the rest of the team ( Ilyasova, Bayless, McConnell & co.) but you have to appreciate what these guys bring to the table. They are hustle guys who can shoot from everywhere on the court. They can space the floor and that is what Simmons and Fultz, that are not good shooters, need when they want to attack the basket.
| PPG | FG% | 3P% | |
| Dario Saric | 14.7 | 45% | 39% |
| Robert Covington | 12.8 | 41% | 37% |
| Marco Belinelli | 13.3 | 50% | 39% |
We have to mention the 1. pick of this years draft, Markelle Fultz, who is starting to show what he can do in the NBA. Because of his injury, he only played in 12 games so far and he is eager to show the world that he is not a bust and that he can ball. He is averaging 17.4 MPG, 7 PPG, and 3.3 APG with 40% from the field and is looking good. You can see that he is not rushing anything, he is playing smart and cautious.
The Philadelphia 76ers have had a rich history, with many of the greatest players in NBA history having played for the organization, including Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson. Now, it’s time for these guys to earn some respect and become one of the most fearful franchises in the NBA for years to come.
Trust the process…
