Philadelphia 76ers Power Rankings Roundup After Embiid's Monster Week
The Philadelphia 76ers are finally getting healthy. After their starting shooting guard Seth Curry tested positive for COVID-19 a few weeks back, the team lost a handful of players over time due to the NBA's Health and Safety Protocol. In addition to COVID-19 contact tracing, the Sixers also had a few injuries to deal with as well.
Over the last week, the team got back together, though. Curry and Furkan Korkmaz eventually returned while players such as Tobias Harris and Shake Milton got back into the swing of things after sitting out for a little while.
Before Monday night's loss against the Detroit Pistons, the Sixers were unbeaten this past week. In two games against the Boston Celtics, the Sixers picked up the sweep at home. Then, after hitting the road to face the Pistons on Saturday night, Sixers center Joel Embiid helped lead them to a third-straight victory.
On Monday, Embiid earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for his recent performances. But where do the 76ers rank as a whole? Let's take a look at some of the top NBA Power Rankings around the net this week.
Slowly Rising on ESPN
Rank: No. 4 (+1 Spot)
"Joel Embiid continues to dominate, the Sixers have their full complement of players available again, and Philadelphia is beginning to separate itself from the competition atop the Eastern Conference. It's early in the season, but for a team that has historically been far better at home than on the road, securing a high seed and home-court advantage would be no small feat." - Tim Bontemps
CBS Sports Offers a Solid Boost
Rank: No. 4 (+4 Spots)
"The Sixers rattled off back-to-back wins over the Celtics, then hung on to beat the undermanned Pistons on Saturday for a perfect week. Boston was without Jayson Tatum for both games, but Philly's wins were impressive nonetheless, with Joel Embiid continuing to stake his claim in the MVP race." - Colin Ward-Henninger
SI National Praises Embiid's Dominance
Rank: No. 4 (+3 Spots)
"Is Joel Embiid the favorite in the MVP race? Philadelphia’s big man is absolutely demolishing defenses in 2020–21, averaging 27.7 points and 11.5 rebounds per game with staggering efficiency. Embiid has two 40-point games in the last two weeks, adding a 38-point night against Boston and a 33-point effort against Detroit. Embiid appears to be in the best shape of his career. He’s been a true defensive anchor as well as a brilliant scorer." - Michael Shapiro
NBA.com is Impressed
Rank: No. 4 (+5 Spots)
"The Sixers are close to #FullSquad (Mike Scott has missed the last four games with a knee issue), with Seth Curry returning from a seven-game absence over the weekend. They’re 12-2 (with five straight wins) with Joel Embiid and now 9-0 when they’ve had their full starting lineup. Embiid was listed as questionable with a back issue for their game in Detroit on Saturday, but he played and gave the Pistons 33 and 14 after totaling 80 points and 21 boards in two wins over the Celtics." - John Schuhmann
