NBA: 1 Thing fan bases of all 30 teams should be rooting for to close season

Philadelphia 76ers

1 thing to root for: Avoid the Boston Celtics in a first-round playoff series

Now that Joel Embiid is back and appears to be near complete form, the Philadelphia 76ers are going to emerge as an increasingly dangerous threat in the Eastern Conference playoffs. But a bit part in how much noise the Sixers are able to make will revolve around where they finish in the East standings. One thing that Sixers fans should be rooting for, now that Embiid is back, is to avoid the Boston Celtics in a potential first-round series.

If the Sixers are going to make a deep run in the postseason, they're likely going to need to avoid the most dominant team in recent NBA history. For as improved as the Sixers have looked since the return of Embiid, it's probably in the best interest to get him some more time to play his way back into MVP form before throwing him at the overwhelming Celtics in a first-round series.

Aside from the Celtics, though, the Sixers should feel good about their chances of winning a first-round playoff series against any other team in the Eastern Conference. This is a team that is trending upward heading into the playoffs.