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Eastern Conference Power Rankings

15. Philadelphia 76ers: An NBA source said a fourth-year guarantee was the final hurdle of new coach Brett Brown's contract. Why? Because Philadelphia could be
Chris Mannix|
Eastern Conference Power Rankings
Eastern Conference Power Rankings

15. Philadelphia 76ers: An NBA source said a fourth-year guarantee was the final hurdle of new coach Brett Brown's contract. Why? Because Philadelphia could be epically bad the next two seasons, and Brown wanted to make sure that leaving a cushy gig as Gregg Popovich's top assistant in San Antonio would be worth it. GM Sam Hinkie's reconstructed roster will likely result in some sloppy basketball, with point guard Michael Carter-Williams (who is still learning the position) and center Nerlens Noel (who is offensively challenged and may not play until Christmas) manning the two most important spots on the floor. Hinkie seems willing to let this team bottom out while throwing his young talent into the fire and hoping a bad season has a silver lining -- i.e., winning the lottery in a strong, Andrew Wiggins-led draft -- for the future.

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Chris Mannix
CHRIS MANNIX

Chris Mannix is a senior writer at Sports Illustrated covering the NBA and boxing beats. He joined the SI staff in 2003 following his graduation from Boston College. Mannix is the host of SI's "Open Floor" podcast and serves as a ringside analyst and reporter for DAZN Boxing. He is also a frequent contributor to NBC Sports Boston as an NBA analyst. A nominee for National Sportswriter of the Year in 2022, Mannix has won writing awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Pro Basketball Writers Association, and is a longtime member of both organizations.

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