ESPN Predicts Sixers’ Seeding for 2023-2024 NBA Season

Will the Philadelphia 76ers remain one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference throughout the 2023-2024 NBA season? The staff over at ESPN seems to believe that will be the case.

As the offseason reaches the final stage and training camp quickly approaches, ESPN predicted the record for each team in the Eastern Conference.

In late August, ESPN believes the Sixers will come just a few wins shy of 50 victories next year. Yet, they could still be a top-five team when the season wraps up.

Considered one of the contenders in the East, the Sixers come in at fourth place with a 47-35 record. The three teams ahead of them are the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Boston Celtics.

It’s no surprise that the Celtics come in at No. 1. Over the last two seasons, the Celtics have made their way to the Eastern Conference Finals and even represented the Conference in the 2022 NBA Finals before coming up short against the Golden State Warriors.

According to the prediction, the Milwaukee Bucks swap with the Celtics, coming in at No. 2. Last season, the Bucks topped the East at the end of the regular season but fizzled out in the first round as they fell victim to the Miami Heat’s surprising run.

Then, there’s the Cleveland Cavaliers, who proved to be in much better shape with an added star in Donovan Mitchell. Although Cleveland couldn’t find success in the playoffs, they’ve proven to be a tough competitor during the regular season and should only get better as they grow.

Philadelphia’s current standing as the fourth seed seems fair, considering what they could go through during the season. With a disgruntled member on the roster, the Sixers are facing uncertainty heading into the new season. The last time the Sixers dealt with similar circumstances, they floated around the middle of the East and finished in fourth place. ESPN seems to think that could be the case once again.

If the predictions were to come to life, the Sixers would engage in a first-round battle against the Miami Heat. That would mark the second time the Sixers face Jimmy Butler and the Heat in the playoffs in three years.

Miami would be far from an ideal competitor for Philadelphia in the first round. Not only did the Heat defeat the Sixers in six games two postseasons ago, but the Heat have made two trips to the NBA Finals since 2020. At this point, the Sixers are winless when it comes to second-round series'.

Anything can happen during the new season, but ESPN seems to believe the usual suspects will remain in the playoff picture for next season. The Sixers are fortunate to be a part of that group.