July 24, 2024
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Will the Sixers be legitimate NBA Finals contenders in 2024-25?
Most NBA teams have conducted the vast majority of their offseason business by now, and so we are able to zoom out and begin thinking about which teams will be able to seriously vie for a championship ring. Where do experts see the Sixers relative to other hopeful title contenders?
MORE: Projecting Nick Nurse's rotation for the 2024-25 Sixers
ESPN senior writer Chris Herring lays out the Sixers' impressive maximization of their cap space in free agency over the past month, as they have gone to great lengths to reshape their roster.
"No East team should feel better about its offseason than the Sixers, who landed free agent Paul George as their third star alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Philadelphia also signed ex-Miami wing Caleb Martin, one of the better role players in the league, to a four-year, $32 million deal and also managed to sign Andre Drummond, who has led the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage the past two seasons among players who logged at least 60 games in each campaign. Veteran shooter Eric Gordon should provide some punch off the bench, and re-signing both Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kyle Lowry was huge. If Philly can stay healthy -- Embiid and George have missed a combined 158 games over the past three seasons -- the Sixers can and should contend for the title." [ESPN]
As you are about to see, the concerns about the Sixers' main cogs remaining healthy is going to become a common theme here.
The unanimous ranking of the Eastern Conference hierarchy, according to all of these lists: the Boston Celtics first, then the New York Knicks, then the Sixers. Writer Brad Botkin points out one potential deficiency that the Sixers have compared to the teams who have eliminated them from the playoffs in the last two seasons:
"Health is the main concern here. If Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George are all 100% come playoff time, this team can beat anyone. But that's a big IF, and they also don't have the defensive wing depth of New York or Boston, though Caleb Martin joining George does help." [CBS Sports]
Not to look too far ahead, but when the Sixers are seeking rotation upgrades around next year's NBA trade deadline, some would consider another sturdy defensive wing to be a priority. But what if Ricky Council IV is that guy?
Writer Stephen Noh is the highest on the Sixers of the bunch, ranking them below Boston and New York but above high-powered Western Conference contenders like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets.
"The Sixers remade their team with the acquisition of Paul George. Is that enough to put them ahead of the Knicks as the biggest challengers in the East?
If George and Embiid were guaranteed to play over 70 games, then the answer would be yes. But Embiid has never topped 68 and George has averaged just 62 games per season in his career.
The 76ers will still be very good. Tyrese Maxey is locked up long-term, Andre Drummond is a nice upgrade at backup center and Kelly Oubre Jr. is back. Daryl Morey has always been aggressive in trades, so even more help could be on the way." [Sporting News]
The consensus having the Knicks ahead of the Sixers seems motivated more by injury concerns than on-court factors. The teams have comparable rosters from talent and fit perspectives, so it is only natural for most to be more comfortable banking on the Knicks, who have fewer core pieces with lengthy injury histories.
The Rotoworld Staff -- Noah Rubin, Zak Hanshew and Raphielle Johnson -- collaborated on these rankings, which have the Sixers sandwiched between the Dallas Mavericks and Nuggets.
On teams who were the biggest risers in free agency, the Sixers were mentioned twice.
"Replacing Tobias Harris with Paul George is a massive upgrade and gives them a talented trio on which to build this team." [NBC Sports]
"Who doesn’t love a good Big 3? PG should be the third option behind Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, making this a lethal trio. Andre Drummond is a sneaky-good addition who will provide quality backup depth behind Embiid, which the team sorely missed a season ago." [NBC Sports]
While the masses believe that the Knicks are a more formidable title contender than the Sixers, the betting odds appear to favor the Sixers in that respect right now -- but the Knicks are still expected to have a better regular season record. Some interesting betting odds from DraftKings SportsBook:
• Sixers to win NBA Finals: +850 ($100 bet wins $850), tied for third-highest odds in NBA, second-highest odds in Eastern Conference
• Sixers to win Eastern Conference: +425 ($100 bet wins $425), second-highest odds in Eastern Conference
• Win total over/under: 51.5, tied for sixth-highest in NBA, third-highest in Eastern Conference
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