Following a shaky start to the season, the Philadelphia 76ers appear to slowly start getting things back on track. As they continue to stockpile wins, one analyst is feeling good about where they can finish in the standings come the end of the year.
Dealing with a litany of injuries to their star players, the Sixers found themselves with one of the league's worst record one month into the season. However, as of late, they've started to look like the team many expected following their impressive offseason.
On Sunday, the Sixers had their three All-Stars in the lineup for just the second time this year. Despite the minimal time together, they thrived en route to picking up a victory over the Chicago Bulls. Joel Embiid led the way with a 30-point outing, while Tyrese Maxey notched the first triple-double of his young career.
With their win in Chicago, the Sixers now find themselves with a 4-1 record over their last five games. As they continue their hot streak, insider Marc Spears gave his thoughts on the team while on ESPN's NBA Today. With so much time left in the season, he thinks the Sixers are still capable of being a top-five team in the Eastern Conference.
"They got 60 games still, there's still a lot of basketball to play and the East is helping them," Spears said. "The Sixers are four-and-a-half games out of the eight spot. If they can continue to just play regularly, I can see them being in the fifth spot. Because the East is gonna help them."
As Spears mentioned, the struggles in the East as a whole have kept the window of opportunity open for the Sixers. Injuries to key players on some of the top teams are also a factor, most notably the Orlando Magic. Paolo Banchero has already been sidelined, and now Franz Wagner is out indefinitely. As things currently stand, the Sixers are only four-and-a-half games behind the sixth place Milwaukee Bucks.
Due to the in-season tournament, the Sixers find themselves with an extended break in the schedule. They have four total days off between games, not taking the floor again until Friday against the Indiana Pacers.