Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey’s quest to win an NBA championship would end a drought 39 years long. It would mean winning a ring for superstars Joel Embiid and James Harden, cementing head coach Doc Rivers’ legacy, and most importantly, proving The Process was a success.
It also means rebounding from the Ben Simmons situation and escaping the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where their season has ended in four of the past five seasons.
Last season, the 76ers went 51-31 before falling to the Miami Heat in six games in that aforementioned series.
Rivers is a Hall of Famer through and through, but he’s chased a second championship ring since 2008. He’s also facing allegations that he’s wasted talent. Can they break through this season?
How will the 76ers’ stars look in 2022?
The universal truth of Philadelphia and The Process is that they will go as far as Embiid takes them. He averaged over 30 points and 11 rebounds last year. He’s an unstoppable force down low, but poses enough of a threat as a floor stretcher and playmaker to keep defenses honest. Embiid is simply a problem, and the top priority for opposing teams. Consider him a perpetual MVP candidate.
By his side is Harden, who struggled to play up to his skill set during the playoffs. Answering questions about his aging game and ability to complement a superstar will be imperative to the team’s success. At his best, he’s an all-world scoring option and the apple of Morey’s eye. In his age-33 season, he’s no longer the nuclear option scoring 30 points per game for a month straight. What he is, though, is a better second option than Ben Simmons.
Philadelphia’s Cast of Characters
Like many other teams, the 76ers’ role players are about as important as their non-star starters. Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris round out a stable offensive unit.
Where Philadelphia will try to separate themselves is on the defensive side of the floor. Going from Simmons to Harden presents about as large of a defensive drop off as possible. They’ll make up for it with the feisty Matisse Thybulle and veteran addition P.J. Tucker. The former might just be the best defensive player East of the Mississippi. His ability to pick pockets and block shots will be showcased during the playoffs—if his offensive skills are enough to stay on the floor.
Tucker will also be vital for the postseason, which seems like a yearly tradition at this point. He’s filled in at center, he’s locked up scoring machines, and he’s found niche roles offensively. Tucker is to the NBA what penicillin was to the 20th century. Expect to hear his name called more frequently when the weather gets warmer, perhaps at the same time as Thybulle.
The playoffs show themselves to be a war of attrition each year. Staying healthy is necessary, of course, especially with this veteran roster. Still, the teams that get their hands dirty often come out on top. Sometimes, Philadelphia will need to shut opponents down rather than shooting them out. For those moments, a lineup with Embiid, Thybulle, and Tucker is priceless.
Throw in reinforcements like rebound maestro Montrezl Harrell and De’Anthony Melton, and the 76ers offer one of the deepest squads in all of basketball. Few are better built for playoff basketball.
Will the 76ers make the playoffs?
There’s a reason a $100 bet on Philadelphia to make the playoffs only nets $9.52 in profit. FanDuel’s -1050 odds for the 76ers to do so should help calibrate our expectations for them.
The question isn’t whether or not Philadelphia makes the playoffs. It’s how far they go.
They are far from perfect and have a tough set of questions to answer, but the 76ers should be looked at as a legitimate title contender. They have one of the eight or so players that are true 1A superstars. Their secondary star can bend the rules as effectively as he drains shots. The balancing of high-level talent, depth, and perhaps paramount, defense make Rivers’ team a threat.
They currently hold the seventh-best odds to win the championship, at +1300.