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How the 76ers Can Be a Playoff Team by Next Season

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:17 p.m. ET

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Jan 3, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts after being fouled against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers have been impressive so far this season, but there’s still steps to be taken before they can become a playoff contender. We explore what’s next for Philly

An unforeseen series of events now have the Philadelphia 76ers at the center of the basketball world, well sort of.

Having not surpassed the 20-win plateau in four seasons, they’re poised for a quick turnaround. And so far this season, that’s exactly what they’ve been doing. During the last few weeks, the Sixers have won eight of their last 11 contests.

Led by budding superstar Joel Embiid, Philly finally looks like a competitive NBA team. Even though they’re still 12 games under .500, their best basketball of the season is certainly in front of them.

The roster is oozing with potential just waiting to be unleashed. Aided by a (still) weak East, if the Philadelphia 76ers follow this three-step guide, they’ll find themselves back in the playoffs by next season.

Jan 4, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) looks for an opening past Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) at Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers won 109-99. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Step No. 1: Trade Jahil Okafor

It’s well documented that the Philadelphia 76ers have an overcrowded frontcourt. Nerlens Noel, Dario Saric, Ersan Illyasova and Joel Embiid are all currently on the roster.

It’s inevitable that one has to go, and the choice is rather obvious. When accounting for possible return value, along with how well a player is playing relative to their potential, Okafor is clearly the elephant in the room.

The 3rd overall pick in the 2015 Draft was once thought of as the future of the Sixers. He had the offensive prowess coming out of college, but his weaknesses has been exposed at the next level.

It’s quickly become apparent just how limited he is on both ends of the floor, and, as a result, his minutes have decreased significantly. And as Philadelphia continues to ease Joel Embiid into more minutes, Okafor has seen his playing time decrease even further.

But the more Embiid plays, and the less Okafor does, the more Philadelphia wins, shown by their 7-3 January record.

The writing is on the wall. Get what you can for Okafor and move on.

Step No. 2: Play Simmons at Point-Forward

Impressively, Philly has rattled off this hot streak without their No. 1 overall pick, Ben Simmons.

Given Simmons’ unique blend of size, strength, athleticism and playmaking ability, it’s probably best if he mimics the role he flourished in at LSU, the point-forward.

Much like the role LeBron James played in Miami, Simmons should bring up the ball, but for very different reasons.

With LeBron, the decision was forced, as Mario Chalmers was difficult to trust bringing up the ball in the Finals. With Simmons, the situation is different. While a capable interior scorer, he doesn’t live down low, or on the perimeter, like most small-forwards do. Simmons’ game style gets the best of both worlds.

With this in mind, it’s best to play to his strengths, and immediately put him in an environment he’s used to. He brought up the ball at LSU, and that played to his biggest strength: his vision. And in this particular case, it’ll prevent crowding in the paint, where big Joel will be lurking.

Nov 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dribbles past Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Cleveland Cavaliers won 102-101. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Step No. 3: Feed the Beast

Feed the beast, trust the process, whatever you want to call it. Just get the man the ball. Finally getting his first chance to play professionally, Joel Embiid has been nothing short of a sensation in his rookie year.

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Even in limited minutes (25 a night) he’s still putting up 20 and 8. Per 36 minutes, that’s a remarkable 28.3 points and 11.2 rebounds. Those numbers dwarf the rookie per 36 numbers of past greats, including Shaq, Hakeem, and Duncan.

The organization has really been milking the “Trust the Process” motto, and really easing the big man into a more demanding minutes schedule. But it’s probably the right call, given the history of 7-footers and injuries.

So the final, and maybe most important, ingredient in the Sixers recipe for success is to do just that, Trust the Process. No matter how frustrating it is, and even if the Sixers fight their way into playoff contention, they still have to be careful with Embiid. He’s too important. He’s one of the best center prospects we’ve ever seen.

The future is bright for the Philadelphia 76ers. And if they follow this guide, the postseason will return to the Wells Fargo Center in 2017-18 for the first time since 2012.

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