NBA Power Rankings: Boston Celtics look vulnerable; Knicks rounding back into form?

19. Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have had quite the up-and-down season this year. And with just a couple of weeks left before the start of the NBA playoffs, the big question that is surrounding the Sixers is whether or not Joel Embiid is going to make a return to the lineup or not. There have been recent encouraging reports that suggest that he indeed is on the path to making his return to the Sixers lineup before the start of the playoffs. However, it's still far from a guarantee.

And if that does end up being the case, you have to like the Sixers' chances of not only making the final playoff field, via the Play-In Tournament but also potentially giving a first-round opponent some real headaches. If there's any team that's going to be able to pull off what the Miami Heat did last season in the playoffs, in which they made a run to the NBA Finals as an 8th seed, it's a healthy Sixers team.

With a healthy Joel Embiid, the Sixers can keep pace with any other championship contender. With just a couple of weeks left in the regular season, a healthy Embiid is far from a certainly for the team.