Here They Come: How The Sixers Have Put The NBA On Notice.

If you haven't been paying attention, The Sixers have been playing like the best team in the eastern conference to start the season. Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey’s arrival to Philly has rejuvenated and revamped a team who floundered in mediocrity last season. The 2019-2020 edition of the Sixers lacked spacing, shooting and a real identity. All things that are necessary to compete in the NBA.

This 2020-2021 team is a completely different beast than the one we saw get swept by the Celtics last season. Morey got rid of the bloated Al Horford contract, and moved on from Josh Richardson. Neither of them really fit what this team needed around their core. To replace them he brought in Danny Green, Seth Curry, and Tyrese Maxey through trades and the draft. Three pieces who compliment this core of Joel, Ben and Tobi much better than the former players.

Brett Brown being replaced with Doc Rivers has also been a huge upgrade. Brett is a great guy, a great developer of talent and guided us through the hard years of The Process. His lack of in game adjustments and end of game management were akin to another beloved Philadelphia head coach, Andy Reid...... just with a way worse record. Whether you loved or hated Brett Brown, you couldn’t deny this team needed a change of philosophy. Doc Rivers seems to be exactly what the organization needed. He brings leadership and a championship pedigree. The results speak for themselves, he’s gotten the best out of the roster and we’ve seen huge strides in Tobi and Joel’s offensive game. Regardless of who is coaching or running the front office, you need the talent to buy in. You could have Phil Jackson out there, but if the roster doesn’t buy into the system, the results will be subpar. These guys are certainly buying what Doc is selling, and the results have shown.

As of writing this Thursday night, The Sixers have won 18 of their first 25 games, and are undefeated when their regular starting five is on the court. During that time they have been nothing short of great. They rank in the top 10 in PPG, FG %, FT%, rebounds per game, steals per game, blocks per game, point differential , rebound differential, turnovers forced, opponents PPG, and opponents FG%. They’re playing great team basketball, and they’re getting some amazing individual performances as well.

Ben Simmons, while still having his struggles on offense, is playing like a defensive player of the year candidate and he consistently keeps the opposing teams best option in check. He has looked better as of late on the offensive end, but even when he isn’t effecting the game in the half court he is still one of the best in the game in transition. You can not quantify what Ben does on stats alone, and I think the teams performance against the Celtics last year shows how different they are without him.

Tobias Harris is playing like an all-star finally living up to his max contract. Tobi faced much scrutiny for his poor play last season, and his flat out disappearing in the bubble. He came back this year to prove the doubter wrong and is averaging over 20 PPG and 7.5 rebounds. He has a legitimate shot at the 50/40/90 club if he continues his play. We also can’t talk about Harris without mentioning how good of a glue guy he is, he is a great human who seems to be loved by his teammates; that can not be overstated.

Of course we would be remiss to talk about the straw that stirs the drink.... Joel Embiid. The Sixers have only lost two games when Joel Embiid has played and one of those losses came without Ben Simmons. He has been a legitimate MVP candidate all season long. He looks to be in the best shape of his career and it’s showing up on the court. Joel is currently averaging more than 29 points a game, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, with 1.5 steals and over a block per game. His efficiency rating is through the roof, and if he keeps this up he will have one of the ten most efficient seasons in NBA history. Any night JoJo is on the floor, the Sixers have a chance to win.

Add in the production of Curry, Shake, Danny Green, Tisse, Maxey, and Dwight Howard and you have the makings of a true NBA title contender. Philadelphia loves basketball, and when the Sixers are good it’s good for the city. I haven’t felt an air of confidence around this organization since Allen Iverson was lacing them up in 2000, and we all know what happened that season. In a year where our beloved Eagles are in a state of turmoil, this team has been the sugar that helps the medicine go down. Believe the hype people, these 10-9-8-76ers could be marching down Broad Street in 2021.