The Philadelphia 76ers had what might be considered the best offseason in the league. They decided to trade Paul George for Jaylen Brown in a clear upgrade. They also added LeBron James on a two-year minimum deal, which is the best contract in the league.
Philadelphia also added Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons in free agency. With those pieces in place, the Sixers are seen as one of the favorites to win the East. The Athletic actually believes that they have the best cumulative roster out of any team in the league.
The Athletic Ranks the 76ers as the Best Roster in the League
In a poll of all of the NBA writers from The Athletic, the 76ers were given the best cumulative grade of any team. None of their position groups were ranked as the best in the league, but none of them were ranked below 19th. In fact, every other position group was in the top five except shooting guard.
Philly is banking on the added depth they brought in to help offset the inevitable injuries that will occur. Joel Embiid will likely miss at least 20 games. James has had an issue staying healthy in the last few seasons, as well. However, Brown is one of the most durable players in the league.
The Sixers were ranked ahead of the Knicks, Oklahoma City, Houston, and Cleveland to round out the top five. Philly is also going to have to figure out chemistry with all of the new pieces that have come in. Yet, this group of writers believes that they will figure it out.
Last season, the 76ers were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Knicks. Adding Brown and James were the key pieces they wanted to add so they can survive injuries. The Athletic rated their point guards fifth, small forwards fourth, power forwards fifth, and centers fourth.
The Sixers Will be Cautious with Overtaxing the Starting Lineup
With having injury-prone guys like Embiid and James in the starting lineup, the Sixers will be cautious with their workloads. There will likely be several games this season that see either Embiid or James out. It wouldn’t be shocking to see multiple games with both players out, either.
The 76ers are more concerned about being healthy when April rolls around than they are about health in November or December. This is why Embiid has come into this season looking slimmer. He is trying to keep pressure off his knees, which have caused him agony.
Last year, the Sixers ranked just 16th on offense. That ranking is expected to go up now that Brown and James have been added to the starting lineup. The health of the team will also determine how high that ranking is pushed up. They could also make a move at the trade deadline.
76ers Roster Given Shockingly-High Ranking by Group of NBA Writers