Are The Philadelphia 76ers TOO GOOD?

With the recent play of the Philadelphia 76ers fans are starting to wonder if the team is actually too good to obtain a top draft pick in the NBA Draft.

If there’s anything you should know about the Philadelphia 76ers this season, it’s that they are absolutely nothing like they were the past three seasons. The team has been improving rapidly and the results of “The Process” are finally starting to shine through.

Even with spectacular young prospects like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid on the team, some fans would still rather lose games to secure the best draft odds rather than sniff the playoffs and get a lesser draft pick/prospect. Before I get into why they’re so much better now and with the statistics to prove it, keep in mind that:

With that said let’s get to the results:

Dec 23, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the 76ers 123-116. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Facts:

First off lets just get to the record compared to last season. In the 2015-16 NBA season, it took the Philadelphia 76ers 82 games just to accrue 10 wins. In only 36 games so far in the 2016-17 NBA season, the team already has more wins with 11. Talk about improvement right?

The team has won more games with 56 percent less chances/games played. The team is on pace for 25 wins right now and that doesn’t even account for the fact that the team is on a hot streak. They have been playing .500 basketball since December 8th, 2016, going 7-7 in that stretch. Here are some other stats:

The team has looked close to a playoff team lately and the stats show it. Last night, January 11th versus the New York Knicks, the team actually had a very sloppy game and shot below 40 percent from the field. Even while having a bad game the guys still pulled out a win.

In past seasons the game probably wouldn’t even be close, and if it was, the team was a sure bet to cough the game away. The proof of the growth is in the pudding.

Look back to the first page of this article and think about how they would’ve improved even more without all of the injuries, minute restrictions, wrong player positionings, unfitting lineups, and logjam setbacks.

Oct 11, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown reacts during the second quarter i the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Is This Good or Bad?

You’re probably wondering right now if the rapid improvement of the 76ers is a good or bad thing. The answer is that it really just depends on perspective.

In the short-term the improvement of the team is wonderful. You can tell how the recent winning has had an effect on everyone from the owners of the team, to the players, to the fans.

There is a legitimate buzz around this team that hasn’t been there since they advanced in the playoffs nearly half a decade ago in 2012. People are talking about the 76ers now and not just in Philadelphia. Whether they’re praising the organization, or talking down on them, they are talking about them either way, which simply wasn’t happening over the last few years.

The 76ers and the Knicks have a combined record of 28-47 right now and yet it was basically a sell-out crowd last night at the Wells Fargo Center. Things are changing for the better in a big way.

now that we’ve talked about the short-term, let’s talk about long-term. In the long-term the winning that the 76ers are doing right now doesn’t really benefit. If things keep going like they’re going now, the likelihood of the team adding a third superstar prospect like Markelle Fultz shrinks with each win.

Although missing an opportunity to draft a third superstar prospect would be unfortunate, I’d still have a ton of faith in this team’s future especially considering how strong the talent level of this year’s point and shooting guards are supposed to be.

Since the 76ers still have the Los Angeles Lakers’ pick this year (as long as it ends up being outside of the top three), the team could still walk out of the draft with a dynamic backcourt. If the two picks were to land between 7 and 14, it would still be possible to leave the draft with guys like Frank Ntilikina and Malik Monk.

These guys are guards who have the tools to be above average defenders, floor spacers, and Ntilikina specifically can be a more than suitable ball-handler/passer when Simmons doesn’t have the rock.

Dec 20, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) warms up before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Conclusion:

While the 76ers improvements are a welcome sight, it’s probably too little too late. The squad would have to go 30-16 the rest of the way just to end the season with a .500 record. With that said, two things are most likely to happen:

What’s so great about “The Process” is that it sets the team up for a contending future even if everything doesn’t occur exactly how we want it. Sometimes we tend to spend too much time wondering what we could’ve had instead of appreciating what we do have.

Ask every team if they’d trade what they have for a starting lineup of Ntilikina, Monk, Covington, Simmons, Embiid in two years and I’d bet good money that every team except for maybe the Golden State Warriors would. That doesn’t even account for a talented bench of guys like Nerlens Noel, Richaun Holmes, Dario Saric, T.J. McConnell, Timothe Luwawu-Cabbarot, Nik Stauskas, Ersan Ilyasova, Jerryd Bayless, and Gerald Henderson.

The future is very much in tact and it’s looking super bright. All we have to do now is just continue to trust the process and good things will come.

P.S. — Don’t forget to #NBAVote for Joel Embiid.

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