NBA Power Rankings: How Does Philadelphia 76ers' Future Look?

Heading into the 2020 NBA Season, the Philadelphia 76ers were viewed as a top contender in the Eastern Conference. The roster on paper is talented, but the team didn't exactly help its reputation throughout the year.

On one end, they looked like NBA Finals contenders when playing at the Wells Fargo Center. On the other hand, the Sixers looked like a team that didn't always deserve a spot in the playoffs when they aren't playing in South Philly.

A great way to describe the 2019-2020 76ers is 'Boom or Bust.' Sports Illustrated's own Michael Shapiro nailed the description in his latest NBA Power Rankings. Unfortunately, he wasn't talking about this season, though. Instead, Shapiro's power rankings were a glimpse into the future as he pondered about which teams will run the NBA over roughly the next five years.

Listed at No. 12 come the Philadelphia 76ers. It's not bad -- but unquestionably not ideal either. After the long and dreadful 'Process' the Sixers went through, Philly was expected to be championship contenders once the tanking is complete. Well, tanking is out of the way, and the 76ers still haven't won a championship since the re-build.

Therefore, if Philly remains playoff contenders, but early to mid-round exits, then we can truly call the process a failure. Fortunately, we're basing this off of projections. The unfortunate part about it, however, is that Shapiro's analysis isn't too far-fetched. 

"There's one scenario where Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons find a way to coexist, then terrorize the East for the next decade," Shapiro writes. "The more likely scenario? A pair of frustrating playoff exits, then a painful divorce. Philadelphia could still move forward with one star, though breaking up Embiid and Simmons would represent a major missed opportunity."

The 76ers shouldn't have to choose one or the other with Embiid and Simmons and build around the player they kept. While Embiid and Simmons do have to figure some of their on-court issues out, there's plenty of evidence out there the two can help the 76ers win games and make it to the playoffs. 

But at a point, patience could wear thin. If Simmons doesn't start taking the next step with his game, or Embiid's health issues worsen, the 76ers might not have a choice but to make changes. For now, though, the Simmons-Embiid duo shouldn't go anywhere. 

While there's a chance they could continue to struggle to get over the second-round playoff hump (bust), there's an equal opportunity for the 76ers to form a championship-caliber squad for years to come (boom). That's precisely why they rank slightly above the middle of the road for future rankings at the moment. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_