March 01, 2022
It's only been two games so far for the James Harden/Joel Embiid alliance, but the NBA has taken notice.
Look no further than the latest NBA power rankings across the internet, almost all of which have the Sixers making huge gains and emerging as one of the top tier contenders in the league.
Without further ado, here's a look at the latest ranks:
| Outlet | Rank | Movement | Behind |
| ESPN.com | 5 | +2 | PHX, MEM, GS, MIA |
| NBA.com | 6 | +1 | PHX, MEM, MIA, GS BOS, DEN |
| Sports Illustrated | 5 | +3 | PHX, GS, MEM, MIA |
| The Athletic | 3 | +4 | MIA, PHX |
| DraftKings | 4 | +1 | MIA, GS, PHX |
| CBS | 8 | -- | MIL, PHX, DEN, BOS, MEM, CHI, LAC |
| FiveThirtyEight | 6 | +1 | BOS, PHX, MIL, DEN, MIA |
| FanDuel NBA Finals Odds | 5 (+700) | -- | PHX, GS, BKN, MIL |
As you can see, there is a little variance but the Sixers are consistently ranked in the top three of eastern conference teams, with the Heat and Celtics sometimes jumping ahead. Miami has been good all year, while the Celts have been artificially propped up by a recent winning streak.
In all of the NBA power rankings above, save for CBS, the Sixers have jumped ahead of a team or more after their two impressive wins last week.
CBS's has the Sixers eighth, somehow, behind a bunch of teams that many would argue Philadelphia is much better than. Here's an explanation of the reasoning there, courtesy of Colin-Ward Henninger. His take is... pessimistic to say the least...
It's hard to gauge the 76ers' future since we haven't seen Joel Embiid and James Harden play a single minute together, but on paper they have (potentially) two MVPs surrounded by shooting and defense with a championship coach in Doc Rivers and a front office leader who's as shrewd as they come in Daryl Morey. Embiid's health issues, Harden's commitment (both in terms of his contract and his physical condition), Tobias Harris' contract and their lack of future first-round picks are definitely scary, but the Sixers have the superstars in place and a young, cost-controlled asset in Tyrese Maxey that should make them title contenders for the next few seasons, at least. [CBSSports.com]
We'll counter that with The Athletic, which is so high on Philly they have them all the way up at No. 3, from No. 7 just a week ago:
How we feeling? How could you not feel great after James Harden’s impressive debut with the Philadelphia 76ers? Joel Embiid was gushing about the presence of Harden after the first game, and we saw them completely dismantle a Minnesota team that has been very solid all season long. This was the best-case scenario to the start of this era. Embiid was dominant. Harden was untouchable. And Tyrese Maxey also blended in perfectly for not being the primary guard anymore. The Sixers have some depth issues still, but this felt like what Daryl Morey had envisioned. I still have a lot of concerns about Harden’s body, specifically his hamstring, holding up. But if he gets himself into shape, this is going to be a ridiculously tough team to play.
Prediction for the final stretch: Embiid wins MVP. Even with Harden now on the team, I don’t see him negatively affecting Embiid’s growing MVP momentum. I think he ends up winning one of the tightest MVP races ever thanks to a brilliant close to the season. [The Athletic]
FiveThirtyEight, which we included near the bottom of our table is a little different than the other outlets. Their algorithm gives the Sixers the sixth best chance of winning a title, up one slot from last week — but it's projecting future performance not looking at "what have you done for me lately" like the other rankings.
We also included Philadelphia's NBA Finals odds from FanDuel, which remain at +700, the fifth best odds of any team.
Whether you are waiting for the other shoe to drop, or already planning a parade down Broad Street in your mind, the Sixers are arguably the most interesting, fascinating and fun to watch team of any on these NBA power rankings right now. Enjoy it.
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