The Philadelphia 76ers have gotten off to a strong start this season, which is exactly what they were hoping for with a revamped roster. The excitement surrounding the team was apparent throughout the summer, as much of the buzz centered on Philadelphia and its major additions.
It was such a busy offseason in free agency that the additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James even convinced the 76ers’ public address announcer to come out of retirement.
“I thought that when I retired at the end of last season, that was it. I was going to take lots of trips, still do my radio job, and then we get LeBron James, and we get Jaylen Brown, and then certain people are reaching out to me,” Matt Cord said.
Early in the preseason, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins wasn’t impressed with the way Joel Embiid was playing.
“I didn’t like the way that Joel Embiid looked last night. I didn’t like the way that he was getting up and down the floor…to me, he wasn’t moving well, which pointed to me that says LeBron James is gonna play a lot of center position this year. LeBron James is gonna have to and guess what? The Philadelphia 76ers actually could win the Eastern Conference this year, and make it to the NBA Finals with LeBron James playing majority of the center position,” Perkins said.
However, after the 76ers rallied in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers, Perkins made it clear that having four options in clutch situations could be what separates them from the rest of the Eastern Conference.
“This is why I got the 76ers coming out of the East. They have something that no other team has… They have four guys that they can go to in the fourth quarter… That is crazy,” Perkins said.
Much of Philadelphia’s production comes from its starters, which makes keeping them healthy especially important. With the roster the 76ers have assembled, opposing teams are going to give them their best shot every night.
The 76ers are in a great position for the future of the organization, especially over the next two seasons. There will still be plenty of work to do throughout the season, but they continue to look like one of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.
