Philadelphia 76ers Finally on Track: Does Philly’s b-ball team have a shot at playoffs?

     The Philadelphia 76ers certainly had a January to remember. Coming off of three years in the basement of the NBA, the Sixers are showing signs that they are headed in the right direction. This past January marked their first winning month since November 2012. Since that time, the program had fallen to the basement as they finished second-to-last or dead last place all three seasons. In 2015, the Sixers hired a new General Manager named Bryan Colangelo. As someone who has ample experience in the NBA in terms of management, the Sixers made a smart move by hiring him. Since that time, the Sixers have shown great improvement. After starting 8-22 in the first two months of the season, Jan. 2017 offered a chance for the 76ers to make a statement to the rest of the NBA that they are coming back to dominate.

     Players like Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and Robert Covington are leading the way for the Sixers. Believe it or not, the Sixers still have a chance to reach the playoffs, despite the fact that their record is still below .500. For Philadelphia to have a chance at playoff consideration, they would need to win at least 70 percent of their games between now and the end of the season.

     In my opinion, it would not hurt one bit to make a trade for someone with some height or to sign a free agent to help in their push for the playoffs. The main challenge before the 76ers to make the playoffs is to stay healthy and find opportunities for second-chance points whenever they can. In regards to their hot month in January, Joel Embiid made a statement about the playoffs: “I think we have a chance. We’ve been hot lately. We’ve won three out of four lately, so I look at it, and I think we have a chance, and we’re really figuring things out. We’re starting to learn how to win games. We’re, like, seven or eight games out of the playoffs, so we have a chance.”

     As someone from the City of Brotherly Love, I was shaking my head when I heard Embiid’s statement about his confidence in the Sixers. However, only time will tell how Philadelphia will fare for the rest of the season. The only thing the Sixers can do is to continue their winning ways throughout the rest of the season. If they do that, they will have a good chance of making the NBA playoffs.