Don’t look now, but the Philadelphia 76ers are creeping back into the middle of the Eastern pack after winning three of their last four games. In the previous 10 days, the 76ers have moved into 12th place in their conference and are only three wins back from joining the Nets, Bulls, Pacers, and Pistons, who are all tied with ten wins. Provided the 76ers and Joel Embiid, who made his return from a seven-game absence, can keep adding to their wins total, Philly is in a good position to climb the standings. The question is, how far up can they climb out of the hole they dug?
Can Joel Embiid’s 76ers Follow In the Footsteps of the Bucks?
A Once Doom and Gloom Season is Slowly Turning Around
Embiid stormed back in a dominant way against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday in a 108-100 victory. In 33 minutes, he scored 31 points and added 12 rebounds. It was a similar performance to the last game he played back on November 20th against the Memphis Grizzlies. He scored 35 points in that contest, with 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. The only tragedy was after that monster game; he returned to the sidelines for the 76ers next seven games. Hopefully, for their sake, that same scenario doesn’t repeat itself after Sunday’s win.
Embiid’s spectacular showing in Chicago and his last two games, where he has looked dominant once again, paints a picture of what the 76ers can look like if Embiid is on the floor. At 7-15, Philly is not far from the middle of the pack in an Eastern Conference where there is much more room for seed shifting and ground to gain than in the West. Not to mention, Embiid’s return to play adds to Paul George and Tyrese Maxey both being back on the floor—a huge step forward for the Sixers as they attempt string wins together.
Just yesterday, Philly were in the basement of the East. They were reduced to eating the leftovers and crumbs off the table with the Washington Wizards. Now, having gone 4-1 since the start of December, at least three (Pacers, Hornets 2x) of their next five games are winnable. If Embiid plays in this five-game stretch, the Sixers have a grand opportunity to pile on some wins. Slowly but surely, they’re creeping up the standings.
Just How Far Can the 76ers Climb?
Even the quickest glance at the 76ers roster on paper should tell you they don’t belong in 12th place. It’s the plague of injuries that has swept through the NBA like unstoppable gusts of wind that have derailed Philly’s season to date. A case of negligence on the part of Embiid’s situation may be relevant also. Nevertheless, a Maxey-George-Embiid-led team should be somewhere at the top of the conference. If their play of late shows us anything, they are showing that they have everything they need to climb back up into the upper half of the standings.
Could they reach a seed in the 4,5 or 6 range? It’s entirely possible, and health provided, realistic. The 76ers could be on track to follow in the footsteps laid out by the Milwaukee Bucks. They also started the season off in lousy form but have dug themselves out of their hole. Look at them now—12-11 and holding the sixth seed. Why shouldn’t Joel Embiid and the 76ers take hold of that same path? They can, and don’t be surprised if, by the season’s end, Philly enters the postseason as a top-six seed.
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