Getty Joel Embiid #21, Tyrese Maxey #0, Tobias Harris #12, James Harden #1 and P.J. Tucker #17 of the Philadelphia 76ers react during a break in play against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on October 26, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Everyone is aware that the Philadelphia 76ers have not gotten off to an ideal start to the 2022-23 season. The franchise has struggled out of the gates and currently holds a record of 3-4 on the year. Back-to-back wins of wins over the Bulls and Raptors have shown an improved effort and begun to steer the ship in the right direction. However, the team still has a long way to go before fully hitting its stride.
The national media has clearly soured on the Sixers following their frustrating start. In a recent NBA Power Rankings on ClutchPoints, the Sixers were listed as the 18th team ranked in the NBA. As Enzo Flojo of the site wrote, “The 76ers have had a tough start to the season, though back-to-back wins have prevented them from sinking any lower in these Week 3 NBA Power Rankings. Their tempo is among the slowest in the NBA, and the transition defense has been dreadful. Still, all of that could be offset if Joel Embiid can consistently play up to his standard.”
Ranking Far Too Low?
In reality, the Sixers have no business being this far down on the list. Teams like the Hornets, Spurs, Hawks, and Jazz ranking comfortably above Philadelphia surely will not stay this way throughout the season. In fairness, this is a reactionary list and only based on the small sample size of the season thus far. The Sixers have played far below expectations and have not looked to be remotely in the contending conversation with their play.
The back-to-back wins the Sixers produced did make an impact in calming down the state of panic from fans. The victory over the Raptors occurred without Joel Embiid and the team played with an increased pace and commitment. Embiid returned against the Bulls and was responsible for the go-ahead three-pointer and key defensive stop to pick up that victory.
Rewatched the ending of the Sixers win over the Bulls last night
I am more impressed with the defensive play from Joel Embiid to seal the deal than I am the game-winner he shot
Sixers need this type if defensive effort more consistently
The poor start is not excusable, but the team has shown signs of waking up and looking like the contender they should be. As the article referenced, their transition defense continues to be a point of weakness but it has shown improvement in the past two games. During these matchups, the Sixes have outscored their opponents 26-20 in the fastbreak. Preventing these easy buckets is a major step in the right direction of making life more difficult for opponents.
What’s Next For The Sixers?
The issues Philadelphia has shown have almost entirely been internal ones to address. The lack of communication, effort in transition, and the overall stagnant offense have been self-imposed by the Sixers.
Looking ahead at the Sixers’ schedule, they have back-to-back matchups with the Wizards before facing off with the Knicks, Suns, and then back-to-back matchups with the Hawks. While each of these teams has been playing solid basketball, the Sixers can beat each of them if they play up to par.
Joel Embiid is 12-0 against the Bulls in his career.
Relive his 25-point performance from Saturday at 3 PM ET on NBA TV!
The biggest thing to watch is for Embiid and the Sixers to continue building off their success. The slow start to the season was frustrating but there is plenty of time to turn it around. They have shown signs of progress over the past week and if this continues they will be right back in the top 10 of power rankings where their talent level indicates they should be.