NBA: 5 teams facing the most pressure heading into the 2019-20 season

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers must have a sour taste in their mouth, knowing that they could be the defending NBA champions right now. They fell at the hands of the Raptors by one of the luckiest shots in NBA history, perhaps one that changed the course of the Sixers franchise.

After many years of “Trusting the Process,” it’s getting to the point where better results are expected. They’ve been beat in the same round for the last two seasons. The superstardom is right in front of franchise cornerstones Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, it’s up to them to take the next step. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued the young duo.

This offseason, they lost Jimmy Butler to the Heat. In return, they did acquire underrated 3-and-D wing Josh Richardson. They also added Al Horford, which suggests they are all-in winning the NBA championship this season. He also provides a bit of insurance for Embiid. Lastly, the re-signing of Tobias Harris makes this starting-5 one of the most expensive – and talented – starting lineups of all time.

In a wide-open Eastern Conference with only the Bucks standing in their way (on paper), the 76ers have to make that jump. The starting-5 is locked up for the foreseeable future but another early exit will put into questions of the Simmons-Embiid fit.