Lookout NBA, the 76ers are for real…so far

The surprise of the NBA this season proved this week that they will be a tough team in the playoffs.

Sixers defense/AP Images

By Braedan Ritter

Coming into this season, if anyone asked you who would win the East who would you go with? You would have said the Raptors, right? Well that would have been stupid because we all know the Raptors suck. The first two choices should have been the Celtics and Knicks; followed by the Sixers. Both Boston and 

New York have more talent than Philly, so why are the Sixers leading the Atlantic? Let’s break it down.

Defense: Even though the Sixers recently lost to the Heat, their defense is one of the best, if not the best in the league. Andre Iguodala is a top defender, Jrue Holiday is very good, but beyond that, the Sixers are playing great team defense. They are first in opponent points per game (giving up just 86.5 per game), first in defensive rating (94.8) and first in opponent effective field goal percentage (44.8). Leading the three most important defensive categories is going to help you win games.

Offense: Their leading scorer is coming off the bench. This might not seem like a big deal, but it is. Philly’s ability to let Lou Williams go to work when their bench is in, makes Philly a much stronger team. It’s like what San Antonio has done with Manu Ginobili for many years, or what Oklahoma City is currently doing with James Harden. Having someone who can light it up off the bench is a huge luxury.
Philadelphia also has a bunch of other guys that can go off and light up a defense. Iguodala, Holiday, Elton Brand, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young and Jodie Meeks are all offensive forces that could go for 30 in a night.

But the most important aspect of the Sixers’ offense is holding on to the ball. Philly is leading the league in turnover percentage, turning it over on just 10.9 percent of their possessions.
The knock against Philly is that they’ve played an easy schedule, and that is definitely true. They’ve played Washington three times already. They won’t be seeing Washington in the playoffs, unless something happens to every other team in the NBA and NCAA.  

But the Sixers’ schedule is about to get tougher, so we will soon learn if they can hang with the top teams in the NBA.

If they do prove themselves worthy, it will still be a long way to the top. The Heat are the clear favorite in the East, and if Miami is playing well, no one can touch them. And the other leader has to be the Bulls. Yes, Chicago just lost to Philadelphia, but Luol Deng and Rip Hamilton were both hurt. I don’t see the Sixers beating the Bulls in a best of seven series if both teams are healthy.

But that isn’t to knock Philly. They are playing great basketball and if they continue to improve, will be fighting to make it into the Eastern Conference Finals.