The Philadelphia 76ers are just under two weeks into the season, and they’ve already snagged the best record in the Eastern Conference at a wild 7-1. This isn’t just against nobodies, either. They’ve already crushed three other hopeful contenders in the East, taking down the New York Knicks twice, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Indiana Pacers. Sure, the Pacers were missing Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac, which takes a little shine off that one, but still, a 7-1 start is legit. This team could easily be under .500 right now, which would have sparked all sorts of crazy talk about job security for Nick Nurse and whether this whole “superteam” thing was going to blow up. But nah, they’re showing up.
Turns Out, There IS Enough Ball for Everyone
Remember all the talk this offseason about “there’s only one ball”? Everyone was wondering how in the world two former MVPs, four former All-NBA selections, and a high-upside second-year lottery pick were gonna share. Would they turn into that annoying “your-turn, my-turn” offense we see when stars link up? Folks, they’ve proven that take hilariously wrong. The offense is still a work in progress, especially in the half court, but ball sharing hasn’t been a problem at all. They’re just outside the top 10 in the entire league for total passes made per game. Even better? LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown are all averaging at least four assists per game. It seems like putting together a team of super talented, high-IQ basketball players actually works out. Who’d have thought?
The Defense Is Shocking Everyone
Then there was the other big question mark: the defense. Given all that offensive firepower, everyone just figured the Sixers would be an offensive juggernaut, but what about the other end of the floor? Well, this is where it gets really wild. So far, they’ve been *way* better on defense than they have been on offense. Seriously, you read that right. While everyone expected them to light up the scoreboard, they’re actually locking teams down. It’s early, yeah, but this defensive identity, combined with that surprising ball movement, is what has them sitting pretty at the top of the East.
The Sixers are clearly not a finished product yet, with plenty of room to grow, but man, what a start. They’ve already knocked off some of the best the East has to offer, and they’re proving a lot of the offseason doubters wrong in a big way. We’ll be watching to see how this defensive strength and unselfish play continue to develop as the season goes on.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Liberty Ballers.
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