Philadelphia 76ers: 3 reasons why the Sixers will make the NBA Finals

Why the Philadelphia 76ers should be taken seriously in the NBA restart

When the NBA entered its hiatus (which has lasted almost four months) in March, the Philadelphia 76ers were without question one of the biggest disappointments in the Eastern Conference. However, when the NBA returns to play later this month, those same Sixers should be considered a legit championship threat in the Eastern Conference.

Looking objectively, the Sixers have everything you look for in a championship contender in the NBA. They have two legit stars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, strong supporting pieces in Tobias Harris, Al Horford, and Josh Richardson, and playoff experience (fell one game short of the Eastern Conference Finals last season).

Thanks in part to the four-month hiatus, the Sixers will be entering the restart (barring any COVID-19 positive results) as healthy as they’ve been all season. In fact, if you ask Ben Simmons, he’ll tell you he feels better than he had at any point during the 2019-20 regular season.

"“I’m feeling better than I was at the start of the season,” Simmons said Thursday. “I’ve been working since I had the injury, working until now to be prepared for whatever happens and wherever we go. I’m feeling great and been rehabbing this whole time, so I’ve been feeling ready and I’m very comfortable.”"

That’s great news for the Sixers. However, being healthy is one thing, and playing at a high level while being healthy is an entirely different element. If Simmons and the rest of the Sixers can do both, they will undoubtedly be a dark horse to win the 2020 NBA Championship.

Don’t want to take my word for it, here are three reasons why the stars could be aligning for the Philadelphia 76ers heading into the restart bubble.