The Philadelphia 76ers are led by very talented stars Joel Embiid and James Harden as they move forward in the Eastern Conference, and they made very solid additions: PJ Tucker, De’Anthony Melton and Danuel House Jr.
With the moves the team made in the offseason to upgrade the depth and supporting cast around the stars, the Sixers are looking to make a deep run in the playoffs. After falling in second round in four of the past five seasons, it was time to make a few moves in the summer.
Bleacher Report put together its predictions for the 2022-23 season and it has the Sixers finishing 51-31 in a tough Eastern Conference, third behind the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks:
In the regular and postseason, Philadelphia was plus-12.8 points per 100 possessions when Harden shared the floor with Joel Embiid. That number crept up to 13.7 when Tobias Harris was added to the mix.
Now that Daryl Morey has had an offseason with which to surround those three with more three-and-D role players — namely De’Anthony Melton, Danuel House Jr. and P.J. Tucker — Harden should feel even more at home.
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Ultimately, the Sixers will not be judged based on the regular season. Everything they do from October to the middle of April will lead to what they do in the playoffs and how they handle the pressure of the postseason. Embiid and Harden will also be judged on what they do in the 2023 playoffs as both players have proven themselves enough in the regular season.
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