Although​ ​the​ ​Sixers​ ​finished​ ​with​ ​a​ ​lackluster​ ​record​ ​last​ ​season,​ ​there​ ​was​ ​still plenty​ ​to​ ​be​ ​encouraged​ ​about.​ ​Saric​ ​finally​ ​came​ ​stateside,​ ​Covington​ ​established himself​ ​as​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​premier​ ​perimeter​ ​defenders,​ ​and​ ​Embiid​ ​captivated​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​city of​ ​Philadelphia​ ​with​ ​his​ ​stellar​ ​performance.​ ​Heading​ ​into​ ​this​ ​season​ ​there​ ​are​ ​even more​ ​reasons​ ​to​ ​be​ ​excited-​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​a​ ​few​ ​reasons​ ​to​ ​be​ ​skeptical-​ ​about​ ​the​ ​Philly based​ ​franchise.​ ​I’ll​ ​break​ ​them​ ​all​ ​down​ ​as​ ​I​ ​project​ ​the​ ​ceiling​ ​and​ ​the​ ​floor​ ​for​ ​the 2017-18​ ​Sixers:

Floor:​

Let’s​ ​start​ ​with​ ​the​ ​worst​ ​case​ ​scenario.​ ​Although​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​they​ ​have​ ​the tools​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​successful​ ​franchise​ ​this​ ​year,​ ​the​ ​reality​ ​is​ ​that​ ​the​ ​Sixers​ ​have​ ​major injury​ ​concerns​ ​heading​ ​into​ ​this​ ​season.​ ​Embiid​ ​and​ ​Simmons​ ​injury​ ​histories​ ​are​ ​well documented,​ ​and​ ​2017​ ​#1​ ​overall​ ​pick​ ​Markelle​ ​Fultz​ ​is​ ​now​ ​dealing​ ​with​ ​shoulder soreness.​ ​You​ ​simply​ ​can’t​ ​win​ ​games​ ​if​ ​your​ ​top​ ​three​ ​players​ ​are​ ​sidelined​ ​for extended​ ​periods​ ​of​ ​time,​ ​so​ ​health​ ​will​ ​be​ ​the​ ​key​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Sixers​ ​season.

Another​ ​thing​ ​I​ ​feel​ ​is​ ​being​ ​lost​ ​in​ ​the​ ​buzz​ ​and​ ​excitement​ ​of​ ​the​ ​upcoming season​ ​is​ ​the​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​an​ ​established​ ​winning​ ​culture​ ​only.​ ​Philly​ ​has​ ​only​ ​registered​ ​a mere​ ​75​ ​wins​ ​in​ ​the​ ​last​ ​four​ ​seasons​ ​combined-​ ​an​ ​average​ ​of​ ​roughly​ ​19​ ​games.​ ​It’s easy,​ ​and​ ​perhaps​ ​even​ ​well​ ​founded,​ ​to​ ​say​ ​how​ ​the​ ​past​ ​teams​ ​weren’t​ ​nearly​ ​as talented​ ​as​ ​the​ ​current​ ​bunch,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​a​ ​winning​ ​culture​ ​remains.​ ​This​ ​isn’t​ ​to say​ ​the​ ​Sixers​ won’t ​ ​establish​ ​one,​ ​but​ ​if​ ​one​ ​isn’t​ ​ingrained​ ​early​ ​the​ ​season​ ​may​ ​get away​ ​from​ ​them​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​at​ ​times.

My​ ​last​ ​worry​ ​about​ ​the​ ​Sixers​ ​is​ ​the​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​consistent​ ​outside​ ​shooting.​ ​Last season,​ ​the​ ​Sixers​ ​ranked​ ​25th​ ​in​ ​three​ ​point​ ​percentage​ ​(34%)​ ​whilst​ ​attempting​ ​the seventh​ ​most​ ​three​ ​point​ ​attempts​ ​per​ ​game​ ​(31.2).​ ​Over​ ​the​ ​past​ ​several​ ​seasons​ ​the NBA​ ​has​ ​transformed​ ​into​ ​a​ ​three​ ​point​ ​reliant​ ​league,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​was​ ​apparent​ ​the​ ​Sixers wanted​ ​to​ ​feature​ ​it​ ​in​ ​their​ ​offense,​ ​but​ ​did​ ​not​ ​have​ ​the​ ​personnel.​ ​While​ ​offseason additions​ ​JJ​ ​Redick,​ ​Markelle​ ​Fultz,​ ​and​ ​Furkan​ ​Korkmaz​ should provide​ ​aid​ ​in​ ​that area,​ ​it​ ​remains​ ​to​ ​be​ ​seen​ ​if​ ​or​ ​with​ ​what​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​consistency​ ​Fultz​ ​and​ ​Korkmaz​ ​can do​ ​it​ ​at​ ​the​ ​NBA​ ​level.

Out​ ​of​ ​these​ ​three​ ​Sixers​ ​struggles​ ​I’d​ ​say​ ​health​ ​is​ ​the​ ​biggest​ ​obstacle​ ​to overcome.​ ​Philly​ ​can​ ​maneuver​ ​their​ ​way​ ​through​ ​a​ ​pedestrian​ ​Eastern​ ​conference whilst​ ​learning​ ​what​ ​it​ ​takes​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​winning​ ​team.​ ​The​ ​team​ ​could​ ​also​ ​manufacture wins​ ​without​ ​shooting​ ​a​ ​barrage​ ​of​ ​three​ ​pointers.​ ​If​ ​the​ ​injury​ ​bug​ ​rears​ ​its​ ​head​ ​again; however,​ ​the​ ​Sixers​ ​can’t​ ​hope​ ​to​ ​be​ ​more​ ​than​ ​the​ ​tenth​ ​or​ ​eleventh​ ​seed​ ​in​ ​the​ ​East, especially​ ​if​ ​Embiid​ ​gets​ ​injured​ ​(viciously​ ​knocks​ ​on​ ​wood).

Ceiling:​ ​

In​ ​all​ ​honesty,​ ​if​ ​the​ ​team​ ​remains​ ​healthy​ ​and​ ​Fultz​ ​and​ ​Simmons​ ​are what​ ​they’re​ ​expected​ ​to​ ​be,​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​see​ ​a​ ​way​ ​the​ ​Sixers​ ​finish​ ​outside​ ​the​ ​top​ ​five​ ​in the​ ​depleted​ ​Eastern​ ​Conference.​ ​This​ ​Sixers​ ​squad​ ​is​ ​incredibly​ ​talented​ ​and​ ​are​ ​going to​ ​create​ ​major​ ​matchup​ ​mix​ ​ups​ ​(try​ ​saying​ ​that​ ​five​ ​times​ ​fast)​ ​with​ ​their​ ​jumbo​ ​lineup. We​ ​caught​ ​a​ ​glimpse​ ​of​ ​what​ ​the​ ​team​ ​was​ ​capable​ ​of​ ​last​ ​season​ ​with​ ​Embiid​ ​leading the​ ​charge,​ ​and​ ​with​ ​the​ ​big​ ​man​ ​healthy​ ​along​ ​with​ ​reinforcements​ ​it’s​ ​difficult​ ​not​ ​be excited​ ​about​ ​their​ ​potential.​ ​Brett​ ​Brown​ ​finally​ ​has​ ​a​ ​full​ ​arsenal​ ​at​ ​his​ ​disposal​ ​and​ ​I believe​ ​he​ ​leads​ ​this​ ​team​ ​to​ ​a​ ​44+​ ​win​ ​season​ ​and​ ​their​ ​first​ ​playoff​ ​berth​ ​since​ ​2012.

Mandatory Photo Credit: AP Photo/Aaron Gash