Philadelphia 76ers: What to know before NBA restarts pandemic-shortened season
Will Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid lead the 76ers to the NBA Finals?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Philadelphia 76ers will be one of the most interesting teams in the Eastern Conference when the NBA restarts amid the coronavirus pandemic. Loaded with talent, it's actually disappointing that the Sixers are only the sixth seed in the East, but they definitely have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs.
When the season resumes, Philadelphia will be tied with the Indiana Pacers for the No. 5 seed, and the Sixers will be only two games behind the Miami Heat for the fourth spot. Joel Embiid is leading the 76ers with 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, and Ben Simmons is averaging 16.7 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per contest.
This might be a make-or-break rest of the season for the duo to see if they can make it work in Philadelphia. If they are an early exit in the playoffs, there is a good chance that the Sixers may make significant changes in the offseason.
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QUICK LOOK
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Division: Atlantic Division
Record: 39-26
Coach: Brett Brown
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Odds to win 2020 NBA Finals: +2000
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ROSTER
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Alec Burks, SG
Joel Embiid, C
Tobias Harris, SF
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Al Horford, PF
Furkan Korkmaz, SG
Shake Milton, SG
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Raul Neto, PG
Kyle O'Quinn, C
Norvel Pelle, SF
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Josh Richardson, SG
Glenn Robinson III, SF
Mike Scott, PF
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Marial Shayok, SG
Ben Simmons, PG
Matisse Thybulle, SG
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WHAT’S NEXT
The 76ers will take on the Indiana Pacers on Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. ET.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The trio of Embiid, Simmons, and Tobias Harris (19.4 PPG) will carry the load on a given night, but Josh Richardson (13.8 PPG) and Al Horford (12.0 PPG) will need to play up to expectations as well.
There is no doubt that the Sixers have the pieces to make a run to the NBA Finals, but these players coming together as a team is the interesting story with this team.