The Philadelphia 76ers’ early-season success is quite fascinating.
When it became a foregone conclusion that Ben Simmons would not start the season as an active player for the Philadelphia 76ers, it was easy to count out the team as a possible contender in the Eastern Conference.
Even though the Sixers finished as the No. 1 seed in the East last season, the expectation was that the loss of Simmons would be almost too much for the team to overcome – even more so if they elected not to trade him.
However, at least through the first few games of the season, the Sixers have not missed a beat. They’ve looked impressive and have seemed to manage life without Simmons quite well.
Through eight games, the Sixers are 6-2 and are sitting in the second seed of the conference at the moment. In the last week, Philly has had two impressive wins over the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls – two teams that are trending upward in the East.
Statistically, the Sixers have the NBA’s best offensive rating, the 12th ranked defensive rating, and the fourth-best net rating. Interestingly enough, perhaps where Simmons’ absence is being felt most, the Sixers are dead-last in pace.
Without a true point guard, that’s not exactly surprising. Nevertheless, if the Sixers can continue to sport a top 10 offense and defense, there’s a good chance that they’ll continue to remain in the top 4 of the East – and that’s without accounting for a possible Simmons return.
Simmons is likely to remain out for the foreseeable future as it was reported that he’s still not mentally ready to play for the Sixers. Though, at least for now, it seems as if the Sixers have pivoted well.
Joel Embiid has been his All-NBA self to begin the season, though is already battling some bumps and bruises. The key for the Sixers, especially without Simmons, is managing Embiid.
If the Sixers are going to continue to survive – and thrive – without Simmons, they’re going to need as close to a fully healthy Embiid as possible.
The Sixers are juggling so many plates to start the season and everything has worked out quite well. Question is, how long is it plausible to expect it to be this positive? That’s the real question the Sixers have to ask themselves, as they continue to wait out the Ben Simmons situation.