After defeating the Chicago Bulls, the Philadelphia 76ers have won four of their last five games. They currently sit as the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 7-15, only 1.5 games behind the 10th-seeded Bulls. After many thought Philly’s season was over, this run has reawakened the hopes of Sixers’ fans. With the East being severely worse than years previous, Philly still holds a chance at a playoff berth. But the question is, is this recent Sixers’ run a fluke, or are the Sixers officially back on track?
Does The Sixers’ Run Indicate That Philly Is Back On Track?
The Defense Is Coming To Play
One of the main issues with Philly early on has been their defense. Before this recent run, Philly ranked 29th in opponent FG%, 19th in opponent 3-point%, and 17th in opponent scoring. They were also 19th in defensive rating. Over the last five games, Philly has maintained a 104.2 defensive rating over the last five games, placing them second in the league, only behind the Minnesota Timberwolves. In that span, Philly is holding teams to just 100.0 points per game, second behind Minnesota.
The teams that they’ve faced over the last five games may not seem like ideal opponents to gauge the Sixers’ defense. But when you take a look further, holding a team like Orlando who’s averaging just under 108 points per game to only 96, and holding a Chicago Bulls team that’s fourth in scoring to 100 points, is something you can walk away from the five-game stretch and be happy about moving forward.
Joel Embiid Returns With A Bang
Sunday’s win against the Bulls marked Joel Embiid‘s return after missing the last seven games. He did not disappoint, racking in 31 points and 12 rebounds in an eight-point victory against Chicago. Sunday’s performance is Embiid’s best game so far on the season. He looked quicker with the ball and more assertive in his decision-making, taking advantage of favorable matchups while taking what the defense was giving him.
In previous games this season, Embiid has not looked like his normal self. He looked sluggish, slow, indecisive with the ball, unwilling to play through contact, and nowhere near the MVP we know him as. But last night’s game showed different, and this is just what Philly needs as they claw back into the playoff picture.
Hope For The Rest Of The Way
There are still more things that Philly needs to work on if winning a title is still the goal with the ball movement remaining a major issue. This season, Philly is ranked dead last in assists per game averaging 21.8 a night.
Not only that, but the Sixers are still struggling from behind the arc. They aren’t converting on clean looks from the three-point line. If they plan on carrying this play the rest of the way, their shots from behind the arc needs to start falling. With Franz Wagner going down with injury, this is the perfect time for the Sixers to capitalize in the standings. Now, the Sixers might not be too far away from removing themselves from the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, but they could be playing for something much bigger by the end of the season.
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