The Philadelphia 76ers are sitting at 12-11 to begin the 2022-23 season which is not where most saw them to begin the season, but considering the addition of new pieces as well as the slew of injuries they have had to endure, it is surprising they are over .500.
The Sixers have had to rely on their supporting cast of Shake Milton, De’Anthony Melton, Tobias Harris, and others to fill and replace the offense they lost when James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey went down with injuries.
Therefore, the resilience this team has shown is viewed as a surprise. The Athletic pointed it out as so:
Twenty games into the season, the Sixers have received nine games played from James Harden, 12 from Joel Embiid and 15 from Tyrese Maxey. And yet they were over .500 at the quarter pole due to the role players (in particular Shake Milton, who was out of the rotation at the beginning of the season) stepping up. The Sixers started the season poorly, but they have showcased their depth over recent weeks.
It will be interesting to see how all of this works out for the Sixers when they get healthy again. Will Milton and Melton play with the same production when Harden and Maxey return from their foot injuries? If they can, then Philadelphia will certainly be in great shape for their title quest.
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