NBA Power Rankings Question 76ers’ Contender Status

Despite the James Harden drama that took place over the summer, the Philadelphia 76ers remained distraction-free through the first quarter of the 2023-2024 NBA season. Following two dominant victories against the Washington Wizards and the Detroit Pistons, the Sixers sit at 16-7 on Thursday, which ranks them in the Eastern Conference’s fourth seed.

Are they championship contenders in the eyes of The Athletic’s weekly power rankings? Not quite.

In a tiered system, which labels teams between contenders and incomprehensibly bad, The Athletic’s Zach Harper places the Sixers in the second tier alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder. Philly ranks one spot behind the young up-and-comers from the Western Conference in the sixth spot.

Brink of Contention?

Allow him to explain…

“Considering the drama with which they started the season, the 76ers have been great. This offense without James Harden has been unreal. Tyrese Maxey has ascended. Joel Embiid is still unstoppable in the regular season. And the Sixers could still make another move. I don’t know if any of this gets them beyond the second round of the playoffs, but they’re pretty fun.”

Recent history tends to play a part in the way teams are viewed by outsiders. For the Sixers, they have been consistently viewed as a team that’s sure to make the playoffs but are regularly out after the second round takes place.

The only way to eliminate those concerns is to simply prove the critics wrong. For what it’s worth, the Sixers are climbing The Athletic’s ranks after a slight skid to the third tier. As they’ve gotten healthier over the past week, they are currently in the midst of a four-game win streak.

On Friday, the Sixers will look to make it five in a row with a matchup against the struggling Detroit Pistons.