Are the Sixers Back?
The 76ers are approaching the All-Star Break, playing their final game at home against the Los Angeles Clippers.
After a wild start to the season, the team is starting to look like they are back on track.
The East is competitive as always, led by Giannis and his Bucks followed by the Raptors, Celtics, and Heat. Although the Sixers aren’t matching their competition record-wise, they are for sure putting up a strong reason to be feared.
Recently, Joel Embiid took his frustration to Instagram and decided to troll the fans by responding to Jimmy Butler indicating a possible departure. After shushing his own crowd, Joel made some worrying statements online.
Joel’s Instagram caption was “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” In response to his caption, former teammate Jimmy Butler responded, “I know a good place where villains are welcome.”
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“You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” #TheProcess
Joel then responded in agreement to Jimmy, startling some out of the loop fans. Embiid has always been known as a funny guy who just doesn’t take things so seriously, so it was disappointing to see the national media cover this as they did. It has been questioning what exactly Joel meant by his response, but what we do know is that he is here to stay in Philly. To believe the 76ers would let go of their star big man is foolish, especially given the current title hopes.
That being said, the Sixers are slowly gaining respect while defeating some of the league’s top teams. Recently, they defeated the biggest threats in the West, the Lakers, and Clippers. Not only does this improve their regular-season record, but it provides some confidence if they are able to make it to the NBA Finals. There is still a lot of work to do, but beating a few of the powerhouses of the NBA is more than a good start.
Another question looming is whether the Sixers will be able to turn it around on the road. While having the best home record in the league at 25-2, they hold one of the worst road records amongst top teams.
This is a large concern since they would have to play on the road a lot in the playoffs, especially while holding the fifth seed.
Although the Sixers haven’t performed up to expectations so far, the new additions in Glenn Robinson lll and Alec Burks should provide newfound confidence and drive this team to win every night. There are truly no more weak spots on this team, and expecting a championship doesn’t feel like a far-fetched dream.
In Philadelphia, it takes the smallest victories to spark belief and after a three-game win streak to finish up before the break, I can speak for all the fans when I say we are excited.
The team has been firing from all cylinders, with Furkan Korkmaz hot from deep and Ben Simmons becoming more aggressive. Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson are both putting in work, as well as the dominant forces of Embiid and even Al Horford, who impressed off the bench.
There is no reason any team in this league should not be scared of this team, and it is amazing to see.
Featured Image: Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images
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