Philadelphia 76ers: 5 keys to making the playoffs in 2017-18

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1. Finding a go-to scorer on offense

The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of talent on offense, but who will be their go-to scorer? They’ve got a veteran in J.J. Redick, who averaged 15.0 points 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in 2016-17. Then there’s last season’s “leading scorer” center Joel Embiid, who, despite playing in just 31 games, averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.1 assists per game.

Embiid brought a nice outside-inside game that complemented what the Philadelphia guards had to offer last season. The return of Ben Simmons and acquisition of Markelle Fultz gives the team more versatility on offense, especially in the wide-open Eastern Conference.

It looks like it could be the Cleveland Cavaliers and then everybody else this season. The Boston Celtics won’t be far behind them but in terms of competition, it’s anybody’s race for the 3-8 spots in the NBA Playoffs.

The Sixers ranked 25th in the NBA in points per game scored (102.4) in 2016-17 and 30th in offensive rating (103.2). They scored fewer than 100 points in 34 games last season, posting a record of 6-28 in those games.

Next: 10 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

Help has arrived in the form of Fultz, Redick and company. Now, it’s up to the team to find the chemistry and trust to build a competitive playoff team.