The Philadelphia 76ers are battling a great deal of adversity, but they have started solidly amid the Ben Simmons saga.
Led by Joel Embiid, the Sixers are off to a 2-1 start. Both wins came on the road, and they were a bad final five minutes away from being 3-0. The Sixers certainly need Simmons on the floor if they are going to contend in the Eastern Conference, but the start prompts optimism.
As teams head into the second week of the season, ESPN has put out a fresh set of power rankings. The Sixers are seventh:
Philadelphia was a horrid final five minutes against Brooklyn away from a 3-0 week to start the season. Things with the 76ers — even without Ben Simmons — remain the way they’ve always been: If Joel Embiid is healthy and available, Philadelphia will win lots of games.
Embiid is off to a terrific start in terms of his passing. He even drew comparisons to NFL quarterback Tom Brady from coach Doc Rivers after their road win on Sunday. Embiid had six assists and was instrumental in the win. His passing helped Seth Curry have such a big game.
Philadelphia has a big rivalry game with the New York Knicks on the road on Tuesday, before it returns home to host the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks. These games will offer the Sixers another chance to grow as a team and continue to work on things without Simmons.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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