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The Philadelphia 76ers are loaded with talent.
While not all agree the Sixers walked away winners of the Jaylen Brown-Paul George blockbuster trade, there's no denying Philadelphia is home to a star-studded roster highlighted by Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, V.J. Edgecombe, and Brown. There are concerns, however, about how this new-look core will mesh along with the team's lack of depth.
Because of these worries, along with the question mark that is Embiid's health, the 76ers found themselves sitting behind the Boston Celtics in Yahoo! Sports' new Eastern Conference power rankings. The top-five are as follows:
1. New York Knicks
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Celtics
4. 76ers
5. Toronto Raptors
Having the Celtics ahead of the 76ers as of right now is a fair agenda to push, largely because Boston is the much safer bet. A healthy Jayson Tatum will be leading the charge next season with George, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta, and others supporting him.
Tatum, last season, only played in 16 games in the regular season while Brown led the team to a record of 56-26. So, if you view the upcoming campaign as Tatum effectively replacing Brown as the No. 1 option, it's easy to see how Boston could find much success headed into the postseason.
Not to mention, he will have a perfect complementary piece in George alongside him. His secondary scoring, defensive prowess, and veteran leadership should mesh perfectly in coach Joe Mazzulla's system.
The 76ers do have the higher ceiling, however.
That ceiling, though, is dependent on the availability of Embiid, who has struggled to stay healthy in recent years. He appeared in 39 games last season, 19 the year before, and 39 once again in the campaign prior to that.
Ultimately, the Sixers will have a mindset similar to before the acquisition of Brown, which is that the playoffs are all that matters. One healthy postseason run from Embiid could very well lead to a title for Philadelphia. Brown, of course, raises the 76ers floor by quite a marginal amount, but Embiid still determines the team's ceiling.
If the rankings are based off floor, the Celtics are the right choice. However, there's arguably no team in the NBA with a higher ceiling than the 76ers.
Join The 76ersRoundtable
Head over to the 76ersRoundtable page and hit the "Join" button at the top of the page... it's completely FREE! You'll have the opportunity to engage with other 76ers fans who live and breathe the team, share your thoughts on the organization, and more. If you're asked to sign up or download the Roundtable app... that's free too.
Anthony Pasciolla is the publisher of 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or followed on X @AnthonyPasci.
Continue reading...
While not all agree the Sixers walked away winners of the Jaylen Brown-Paul George blockbuster trade, there's no denying Philadelphia is home to a star-studded roster highlighted by Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, V.J. Edgecombe, and Brown. There are concerns, however, about how this new-look core will mesh along with the team's lack of depth.
Because of these worries, along with the question mark that is Embiid's health, the 76ers found themselves sitting behind the Boston Celtics in Yahoo! Sports' new Eastern Conference power rankings. The top-five are as follows:
1. New York Knicks
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Celtics
4. 76ers
5. Toronto Raptors
Having the Celtics ahead of the 76ers as of right now is a fair agenda to push, largely because Boston is the much safer bet. A healthy Jayson Tatum will be leading the charge next season with George, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta, and others supporting him.
Tatum, last season, only played in 16 games in the regular season while Brown led the team to a record of 56-26. So, if you view the upcoming campaign as Tatum effectively replacing Brown as the No. 1 option, it's easy to see how Boston could find much success headed into the postseason.
Not to mention, he will have a perfect complementary piece in George alongside him. His secondary scoring, defensive prowess, and veteran leadership should mesh perfectly in coach Joe Mazzulla's system.
The 76ers do have the higher ceiling, however.
That ceiling, though, is dependent on the availability of Embiid, who has struggled to stay healthy in recent years. He appeared in 39 games last season, 19 the year before, and 39 once again in the campaign prior to that.
Ultimately, the Sixers will have a mindset similar to before the acquisition of Brown, which is that the playoffs are all that matters. One healthy postseason run from Embiid could very well lead to a title for Philadelphia. Brown, of course, raises the 76ers floor by quite a marginal amount, but Embiid still determines the team's ceiling.
If the rankings are based off floor, the Celtics are the right choice. However, there's arguably no team in the NBA with a higher ceiling than the 76ers.
Join The 76ersRoundtable
Head over to the 76ersRoundtable page and hit the "Join" button at the top of the page... it's completely FREE! You'll have the opportunity to engage with other 76ers fans who live and breathe the team, share your thoughts on the organization, and more. If you're asked to sign up or download the Roundtable app... that's free too.
Anthony Pasciolla is the publisher of 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or followed on X @AnthonyPasci.
Continue reading...
