Welcome everybody to the 76ers Weekly Round Table, presented to you by Tim Sullivan and Yamil Roman. Every Friday we will be discussing all things Sixers. Everything from Markelle Fultz to the upcoming draft, we will cover an array of different topics each Friday. We hope you enjoy what he have to say. Now let’s started!

Could the 76ers rise through the Eastern Conference standings and become a top 4 seed?

Yamil: The only thing keeping them from being a top seed in the east is the silly mistakes that they make with the ball in their hands. So many unnecessary turnovers from lazy passing or not being on the same page with one another has really prevented this team from being elite. The 3rd and 6th seed are only separated by 4 games or less. The Sixers could easily move up the standings considering that they have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league. I believe they can finish 3rd above the Pacers, Cavs and Wizards if they turn down the turnovers. We’ll have to see if they can clean up their act a bit in the remaining games left in the season.

Tim: The problem for the Sixers has to start with themselves. They’re a good team and could be a problem against anyone in the playoffs. But, they get in to bad habits and tend to get stuck with them for a bit. Poor shot selection, poor passing, way too many turnovers, etc. If they can limit some of the bad habits, combined with their schedule, it is very realistic to see them jump up to the fourth seed.

I expect the Cavaliers, as much as LeBron says he doesn’t care, will try to make that 3rd seed. The Pacers and Wizards both have tough games on their remaining schedule. The Sixers only play about 4 or 5 teams with records above .500 and I think a couple of them are against the Pacers and Cavaliers. They also play the Nets, Knicks, Hawks and Magic, who are poor teams this year. If they can avoid the letdowns against the poor teams and play strong against those good teams, there’s a chance to get to the 4th seed. The way it’s been going though, I could see them sitting at 6th for the remainder of the year and getting the Pacers or Cavs in the first round of the playoffs.

Ben Simmons vs Donovan Mitchell. Who’s your Rookie of the  Year?

Tim: I wrote about this around two weeks ago and I still haven’t changed my opinion. Simmons is far superior than Mitchell in every aspect of the game except three. Average points, free throw shooting and three point shooting. Mitchell is taking 17 shots per game compared to Ben’s 14. The thing is that Mitchell is taking seven of those from three-point land. He’s the focal point of the Jazz offense and he’s going to see those shots. Simmons isn’t  #1 for the Sixers, that’s Joel. But he also isn’t paid to bomb threes all game, that’s for Covington, Saric and J.J. Reddick. So, who’s the better player?

Ben for sure and it’s not even close. He’s four more rebounds and assists better per game as well as beating Mitchell in steals, blocks, and shooting percentage. Last year, when Saric led the scoring race for rookies, the voters said that it was more than scoring, this year all they talk about is Mitchell’s scoring. If Ben took 4 more shots per game, he would be right there with Mitchell in terms of points. But Mitchell doesn’t have the assists and rebounds and he won’t ever. This year, it’s not even close.

Anyone that’s watched the games can see that Simmons is much better than anyone in this rookie class. Lately, I’ve heard the defense that he’s not really a rookie since he missed last year, but that’s ridiculous as well since both guys are 21 years old. Mitchell also stayed two years in college, so they can’t use that argument. I’m tired of hearing people discuss how he’s superior because he scores. He takes way more shots and that’s the only reason he has 3 more points per game than Ben.

Yamil: Ben Simmons. If you think otherwise, check the stats again. Ben Simmons has racked up 6.4 win shares so far this year and Donovan Mitchell only provides 3.9. That’s a pretty big disparity especially considering Ben has All-Star center Joel Embiid on his team team. Like Tim said, the only reason Donovan Mitchell is averaging a few more points than Simmons is because he is the go to option on offense for his team. Ben has Joel. Ben should win ROY. If he doesn’t, I riot.

The LeBron James to the 76ers rumors are gaining some serious steam. If the 76ers can land LeBron, would that make them an instant championship contender? Would they be able to take down the Golden State Warriors?

Yamil: I love LeBron. I’m a big fan of his. Originally, I didn’t think that LeBron on the 76ers could work. That has changed for me. Simmons often works out of the post. He finds cutters open or swings it to the outside if he gets double teamed (which is a lot since no one in the league can really match his size/skillset). Now imagine if LeBron were the cutter. Imagine if LeBron were the one passing it to Simmons on the cut. Poetry in motion. Also, the fastbreak opportunities would be endless. I could totally hear Marc Zumoff in my head just yelling, “Embiid grabs the rebound and hands it off to Simmons. Simmons threads the needle to a streaking LeBron for the dunk and the Wells Fargo Center is loving it!”. I think LeBron joining the 76ers would be a great move for him and it would make the 76ers the favorites to come out of the east.

In regards to them keeping up with the Warriors, my answer is yes. Joel Embiid should be a candidate in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Ben Simmons is 6’10 with the athleticism and strength to defend any position on the court. Robert Covington has proven to be one of the best “3 and D” players in the league. Add LeBron to the mix and the 76ers would be a defensive juggernaut. They would be able to switch to Steph when he pops out for a three or guard Durant on the isolation. Not only would they be able to guard them well but they’d also have enough firepower offensively as well. No one can stop Embiid, not even Draymond Green. The Warriors have clearly never had an answer for LeBron. Ben can take just about anybody to the cup and Saric has developed into a fantastic 3 point shooter. It would be an amazing series to watch, that’s for sure.

Tim: First of all, LeBron would make any team an instant championship contender. The thinking here is that LeBron is down to four teams. Why in the world would LeBron go to L.A. or Houston? Both are Western Conference teams that would be playing against the Warriors, Spurs, OKC, Minnesota and Portland. There are too many really good teams in the West. In order to win titles, it would be much harder for him out there. Although, he has said that he has nothing more to prove seeing as he’s won titles.

Here’s why I like the Sixers chances of getting Lebron. To answer your question, the Sixers automatically become the best team in the east and they’re a title contender right then and there. The combination of Simmons, Saric, Embiid and James would terrorize players. On top of that, the East would allow him to have an easier time. He wouldn’t have to shoulder the load he does in Cleveland and could serve as a mentor to all of the young talented guys that the Sixers have on the roster. With their length and defense, the team could definitely beat the Warriors. We have the shooting and we already have a top defense in the league. Adding Lebron to that would really put people in a bad position playing them. I’d love to see it.

Joel Embiid has looked fatigued at times on the court throughout the past few games. Should he get a small stretch of rest before the playoffs start?

Tim: I’ve said this of late and I agree he’s looked fatigued. It’s going to happen. He hasn’t played ball, for extended time, for at least three years and I don’t think he’s ever played as much as he is now. With that being said, I think part of the reason he’s looking gassed is that he’s also not playing smart. On the floor and it seems a lot lately, Embiid looks like he’s trying to be a guard. He’s constantly outside the arc and looking to beat his man off the dribble, or when he’s in the midrange area and he is exerting a lot of energy with movement and dribbling. What he should be doing is getting down low in the box and planting himself there. He’s proven to be dominant and borderline unstoppable down there. It doesn’t help that Brett Brown says he wants Embiid to shoot more threes. It’s detrimental to the guys health and productivity.

If I were BB, I would be parking Embiid in the low post and telling him to earn his money down there. He’s so big and strong and has a good array of moves that he can’t be stopped. His scoring and rebounding would go up, he’d have a lot less running to do and it would probably reduce his turnovers a bit. The tough part is that he has a good shot and I think he knows it, so he likes to shoot the three. It’s the modern day long ball. Everyone wants to see a long three or a center bombing them. It’ like the dunk was 20 years ago. But he has shooters on the team and with his passing ability, he could do so much more damage in the low post and kicking the ball out to Saric, Covington, Reddick, Ilyasova and Belinelli. That’s what’s going to help the team and him physically.

Yamil: He should definitely get some rest before the big stage. He should have rested against the Brooklyn Nets. Ben and co. could have easily handled them without Embiid. Embiid’s problem is conditioning. He doesn’t practice on a consistent basis so he can’t really get in a rhythm and this is also the first time that Embiid has played back to back games in his career. That could all take a toll on 7’2 giant.

I also agree with Tim on the idea that him trying to play on the perimeter has something to do with his fatigue as well. I know Embiid has stated that he wants to be a point guard someday but that just shouldn’t happen. He is one of the most dominant low post forces the league has ever seen. Yes, I said ever. Sure, he can knock down the three ball. That doesn’t mean he should hang beyond the 3 point line and try handling the ball all the time. Get in the post, get dirty and do you Joel. The opportunity to take a three will present itself in the natural flow of the game.

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports