Hoops Habit
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Philadelphia 76ers: The Process Thriving, And The Trade Deadline

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; From left to right Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) and center Joel Embiid (21) and center Nerlens Noel (4) warm up before the game against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; From left to right Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) and center Joel Embiid (21) and center Nerlens Noel (4) warm up before the game against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia 76ers
Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts as fans chant his name after a score against the Toronto Raptors during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Present

The Sixers have given us far more reasons to watch than in the past, but as fun as Joel Embiid has been on and off the court, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. This team is still a long shot for the playoffs, as their 14-26 record indicates.

However, even with Philly sitting in 13th place in the East, it’s worth noting that Brett Brown’s team has been on a tear lately. Their 7-2 stretch starting with wins over bottom-feeders like Denver, Minnesota, Brooklyn and New York, but their last three victories have come against playoff-caliber teams in Charlotte, Milwaukee and Toronto.

Nobody should be buying into Embiid’s playoff talk just yet, but the Sixers are only 5.5 games out of the eighth seed in a weak Eastern Conference. It’s highly unlikely, but also not impossible.

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These NBA stars might switch teams sooner rather than later
These NBA stars might switch teams sooner rather than later /

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    • The biggest reason for this, and for the Sixers being relatively watchable again, is clearly Embiid. In his rookie season, “The Process” has absolutely shattered expectations, putting up a whopping 19.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game — all of which lead this year’s rookie class by a significant margin.

    The fact that he’s doing this in just 25.4 minutes per game is staggering, and you can count this writer among those who believe Embiid’s minutes restrictions and missed games due to rest should not hold him out of a well-deserved All-Star spot in any way, shape or form.

    Embiid’s off the court antics have turned him in a living, breathing Paul Bunyan. His exploits — from retweeting a fake Donald Trump account for All-Star votes, to his continued efforts to woo Rihanna, to dancing with Sixers cheerleaders after a win, to his ruthless comments on Instagram — have made him an endearing benchmark among the next generation of unicorn superstars.

    As a seven-footer who is shooting threes at a 34.8 percent clip and envisions himself as a point guard one day, Embiid’s skill set is truly remarkable.

    The inevitable Rookie of the Year isn’t the only thing Philadelphia has going for itself these days though. Ersan Ilyasova has been terrific since the Oklahoma City Thunder banished him to NBA Siberia, averaging 14.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and shooting 36.7 percent from deep in a Sixers uniform.

    There’s also Dario Saric, a rookie who would be making more noise if not for Embiid’s outlandish production. Saric struggles with consistency so far, shooting just 38.7 percent from the field, but he’s averaging a respectable 9.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game off the bench.

    Meanwhile, T.J. McConnell has proven himself as the team’s go-to point guard until Ben Simmons is ready, even knocking in a game-winner over the Knicks that gave the Sixers their closest thing to a real-life Rudy moment:

    The Sixers are a fun, plucky bunch, and have been much more competitive lately. However, their -5.6 point differential ranks as the second-worst in the East, and as long as Embiid remains on a minutes/game restriction (currently set at 28), this team will struggle to turn this current momentum into an actual playoff spot.

    Then again, considering what’s in store for this team moving forward, perhaps another season in the cellar of the East wouldn’t be the worst outcome.