The Sixers Are Bringing Our Hoop Dreams To Life
Well we are officially into a new year and 2021 is not disappointing when it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers. Following a 127-112 victory at the Wells Fargo Center against the Charlotte Hornets, the Sixers have continued improving on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball and are now 5-1 on the season. With these advancements under the new regime led by Head Coach Doc Rivers and President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, Sixers fans are starting to see the early returns on the offseason investments and believe that the championship dreams can finally become a reality.
First off, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are proving the doubters and the “can they play together?” crowd wrong early on and that the answer is plain and simply yes. The on-court chemistry between the two players has been noticeably better and efficient and it is working great with not only the two of them, but with the roster that has been built around them.
Daryl Morey, as I had mentioned in an earlier blog post, worked his magic and has assembled a roster that can do three things: defend, shoot, and compliment Simmons and Embiid. And as each game passes, everything has been getting better and it does not seem to be slowing down.
The Sixers defense is one of the top defenses in the entire NBA with every starter contributing in any way possible. From Danny Green’s perimeter defense to Embiid’s lockdown of the post to even Seth Curry contributing on the defensive end (something I personally was not expecting), the roster is going to continue to improve and get scarier as the season moves along.
The Sixers shooting has been improving immensely throughout the last few games. Between the last two games against the Orlando Magic and Hornets, the Sixers have shot 31-68 from the perimeter, equating to 46 percent shooting. Though this can be improved as we move along, this is an amazing start for the Sixers perimeter offense with each game better than the last, and this is in part with the shooters on the roster becoming more loose and comfortable on the floor.
Even though it’s just six games into the regular season, and there are still many games to go until we have concrete evidence for how good this team can be compared to the rest of the league, this Sixers squad is starting to send warning signals to everyone that they have the potential to be an elite caliber team this season and beyond. With the Sixers having the number one seed in the Eastern Conference following Saturday night’s win, they still have a long road ahead as soon they will face true conference contenders in the Hawks, Buck, Celtics, and Nets. But for now, this team is looking stellar to start this season and Sixers fans should be thrilled.