No. 2: Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is another team that Milwaukee needs to be aware of for a possible matchup in the second round of playoffs, maybe even the conference finals. The 76ers were a good team before the James Harden trade. Now I think they are a great team that has the potential to make noise in the East.
The 76ers franchise revolves around the 28-year-old MVP front-runner Joel Embid. Don’t get that twisted. He is the engine that makes that team run. Embiid scores the second-most points per game in the NBA with 29.9 points. His 11.4 rebounds per game rank seventh in the league. Philly would not be the same team without Embiid.
Every superstar needs another high-caliber player alongside him to ease the scoring load and help the team win. The 76ers answer to that was a mid-season trade for James Harden, that sent Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond to Brooklyn. Harden comes as advertised and he is an elite scorer and has reshaped his game to be one of the better passers in the NBA.
The beard averages 22.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game. Those are outstanding numbers, but what Harden gets criticized for the most is that he does not have an NBA title. He’s been extremely close to making the Finals on many occasions but has fallen short.
Together Embid and Harden have their mindset on one goal. Make and win the NBA Finals. Philly has the role players they need to compliment the two superstars. In particular, Tyrese Maxey has flourished with the addition of Harden and his scoring numbers have increased. The 76ers will be ready for whoever they face in the playoffs. A post-season matchup with Milwaukee may be in their future.