National Basketball Association

Could Philadelphia 76ers Reach 8th Seed in 2016-2017?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:52 p.m. ET

Fansided, Bret Stuter/FanSided via The Sixer Sense

Despite starting off the 2016-2017 season at 7-24, the Philadelphia 76ers are suddenly on a 7-3 run which begs the question. Could the Philadelphia 76ers reach the eighth seed in the 2016-2017 season?

These are the Philadelphia 76ers, and they are starting to dream big. Perhaps too big? You see, there has been whispers of a playoff appearance this year.

#Sixers Embiid on playoffs: pic.twitter.com/VDfpo2OAGo

— Tom Moore (@tmoore76ers) January 10, 2017

Sixers beat the Raptors the 2nd beat team in the East. Joel Embiid 26 pts 9 boards in 26 minutes! He’s an All Star. @FOX29philly playoffs?

— Iain Page (@IainPageFox29) January 19, 2017

Well, those are some fairly big hurdles to overcome. But if the team does not make the playoffs, the season is a failure? Hardly.

Safe Harbor

The goal this season has been to determine the worth of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and to win as many games along the way as possible. No matter the preseason rhetoric, the fact that both Jerryd Bayless and Gerald Henderson were signed in free agency with health concerns proves the team insulated from a “Win Now” mandate.

But I would be skeptical indeed to believe anyone in the front office had anticipated the complete reversal of the team’s fortunes. When the team had to fight through injuries to Sergio Rodriguez and Gerald Henderson, some spark seemed to ignite in the team.

Time To Win

We can attribute part of the positive momentum to the team settling in on a successful starting lineup. But part of the cause is simply the fact that rookies need time. Even veterans on a team need time to adjust to new teammates. So when you consider the whirlwind of injuries, new faces, and rotations due to injuries, it’s a wonder the team can win anything.

Right now this team is on pace to win approximately 30 games this season. That is on the high side of most projections. Getting to the playoffs does not make this a successful season. If the team can simply win 30 games, that will be success enough.