Brett Brown’s Philadelphia 76ers started the season 0-17 and many believed another legendary tank was in store for Philadelphia. Yet since defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 3rd, the 76ers have achieved a drastic turnaround.
Named a “disgrace” by some, the 76ers are now beginning their rise from the ashes as one of the worst teams in the league. Now 8-14 since their first win, Philadelphia is showing signs that Sam Hinke’s long-term strategy is working, and they do not even have their full squad yet.
Philadelphia’s 2014 first-round pick Joel Embiid has yet to take the floor for his NBA team, but has been making a splash in the Twitersphere with reactions like this one after the 76ers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 5th.
I told him to sign with us back in the summer and he didn't smh
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) January 6, 2015
Embiid is unlikely to play in the current season, but that is no worry to the 76ers. Friday night’s victory over the New Orleans Pelicans is the first bench-mark on the road to contention for Hinkie’s Sixers. Philadelphia defeated the Pelicans 96-81, and the two men the Sixers are building around showed up in a big way.
Nerlens Noel had his “welcome to the NBA” moment posting his first career double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks in the game. Noel’s cohort and fellow first-round selection Michael Carter-Williams, or as Philadelphia fans lovingly call him “Michael Carter-All-I-Do-Is-Win” showed that he too is a centerpiece for the rebuilding process yet again, dropping 22 points and seven assists in the win.
The 76ers have players who they firmly believe are building blocks in this league, and a supporting cast to boot. Tony Wroten and Henry Sims have proven they are viable rotation players at the professional level, and are growing as players with each passing game. Philadelphia may have won the lottery with 2014 second-round pick K.J. McDaniels, who has shined in his rookie season averaging 9.2 points in 26.1 minutes played per game. Another first rounder from 2014, Elfrid Payton is slowly but surely developing as well, averaging 7.3 points and 5.5 assists in 26.7 minutes per contest.
The foundation has been laid in Philadelphia for a comeback of epic proportions. The supporting cast grows in maturity with each passing game just as the Sixers young starters are beginning to find their form. The light at the end of the tunnel is near in the Sixers’ rebuilding process, and Friday night’s win over the Pelicans was simply a preview of what is to come from a young team ripe with potential.
Photo: USA Today