We’ve reached the halfway point of the NBA season, and as usual, the so-called NBA experts are putting in their votes for midseason awards and failures. Over at espn.com, the vogue pick for biggest disappointment to date is our very own Philadelphia 76ers.
The general school of thought is that comin
g into this season; the team was saddled with lofty expectations and considered by many as a team that could finish in the top half of the Eastern Conference. If the playoffs were to start today, the Sixers would get in as the seven seed with a 20-21 record and therefore are considered a bust. But should this really be classified as a disappointment or should the pundits be taking the blame for inaccurately labeling this team?
Of course, if you asked that question three weeks ago the Sixers would have to be considered a monumental disappointment. The team was languishing well below .500 and the prospects did not look good for improvement with the star player sidelined with an injury. But out of seemingly nowhere, the team recalled what sparked its run to the playoffs last year-superior athletic ability, aggressive defense and hustle. It took a coaching change and the injury to Elton Brand to make it happen, but the Sixers appear to be getting back to that style of play.
With Brand’s return to the lineup on Saturday, the team has an opportunity to prove it can gel the low-post scorer into its frenetic style of play. It is no coincidence that they waited until Saturday to bring him back to the lineup rather than rushing him back on Monday. The five-day layoff is the perfect opportunity to have a string of practices with the goal of getting Brand, and his teammates, accustomed to playing together. Brand was healthy enough to return to the lineup on Monday but intentionally held out to allow ample practice time. Only after he has been back in the lineup for two weeks can we accurately judge whether this team is a disappointment or not.
In an honest assessment of the teams sitting above the Sixers, only the Miami Heat seem to be within the Sixers grasp and maybe the Atlanta Hawks. Can you envision the Sixers overtaking the Celtics, Cavs, Pistons or Magic? Didn’t think so.
While the Sixers have not quite lived up to expectations, they are far from the disappointment that the espn.com experts portray. In fact, the Sixers are just now starting to play at the level that should be expected of them at this stage of their development as a team. The disappointment label should be reserved for a team like the Washington Wizards.
Nice article. The only thing I disagree with is saying the Sixers won’t catch all those teams, Boston, Cleveland and Orlando are definitely out of reach. The Hawks I’m not so sure about. The Pistons can definitely be caught, in fact, they’re sinking like a rock.
It’s all going to depend on how long it takes to incorporate Brand into the team and whether Brand can stay healthy for the rest of the season. There’s a high probability that he’ll re-injure the shoulder.
Both the Pistons and Hawks are not out of reach, but do I think we can reasonably expect the Sixers to catch them? No. I know the Pistons are not playing well at the moment, but when all is said and done, they will likely finish ahead of the Sixers. The Hawks are a tough case. So far, they have played well and looked like the team that battled the Celtics to seven last year. But even still, I guess part of me can’t forget that they are the Hawks after all! It should be an interesting second half of the season and if Brand can gel with the team, this team might just bump up a few spots in the standings.