The Philadelphia 76ers struggled out of the gate to start this season. That much is well known. Going 4-14 from the start of the season to the end of November left Sixers fans dejected about their chances of witnessing a championship parade through Philadelphia.
Yet, since December, that feeling has slowly dissipated into a careful hope. Hope that the Sixers might finally start putting the pieces of their roster together. Hope that Philadelphia’s injury woes may finally be in the past. Hope that a championship isn’t the craziest thing in the world.
Can the Sixers become Contenders?
The Sixers are currently the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference and are 13-17 on the year. For many, that is enough to take them out of the conversation. That being said, this team, which consists of many brand-new faces, has finally started to come together over the last month.
Since December 1st, the Sixers have had the fourth-best record in the league at 10-3, which includes wins over the Celtics, the Magic, and the Spurs. They are also third in the East in that span, trailing only the Cleveland Cavaliers (10-1) and the New York Knicks (11-2).
On one hand, this can be seen as just a simple flash in the pan, the Sixers getting lucky with injuries and having an easier schedule. After all, the only big win they have is against the Boston Celtics, who are 7-6 in December. During this stretch, they haven’t been especially prolific in scoring; they’re ranked 23rd in points per game. It’s not with their efficiency, where they are 15th in field goal percentage and 13th in three-point percentage.
That being said, the Sixers shouldn’t be penalized for winning games against lower-tier opponents or for finding ways to win their games. While they may not be scoring a lot of points, they are still winning games, and the reason isn’t too hard to find.
Over the month of December, the Sixers have been one of the scrappiest teams in the league. They are tied for 3rd in the league in deflections (20.3), tied for second in loose balls recovered (5.2), fourth in charges drawn per game (0.58), and eighth in corner three defense (36%). More than that, the team has been one of the best when it comes to generating turnovers, currently sitting fourth in steals with 10.4 a night. They have also been great at protecting the ball, averaging only 13.8 turnovers a night, good enough for sixth in the league.
The Sixers may not be the best team in the East right now, but they are certainly trending in the right direction. After the disappointing start to the season, Philadelphia has begun to look the part of a contender. With a big three consisting of Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Eastern Conference Player of the Week Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers are showing everyone that they are not dead in the water. This team has plenty of fight and grit left to turn this season around and hopefully make some serious noise come playoff time.
