National Basketball Association

When Will Philadelphia 76ers Win 20th Game?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:38 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Bret Stuter/FanSided via The Sixer Sense

The Philadelphia 76ers have just won their 10th game. Now, when do they win their 20th?

The Philadelphia 76ers are far better than last season, and better than their current record of 10-25. That’s due to the fact that two of the five projected starters have not contributed so far this season. For now, projected starter Jerryd Bayless is gone for the season.

But rookie Ben Simmons is on his way, and should be with the team in February 2017. Meanwhile, the 76ers are slowly improving on both defense and offense. The teams average of 99.2 points per game is the best since the 2013-2014 season at 99.5.  In that season, the team’s defense was up to 109.9 points per game surrendered.

Conversely, the team is surrendering just 105.9 points per game good for 21st in the NBA. The teams differential of (6.7) points per game was last bested in the 2012-2013 season, when the team ignored their (3.3) points deficit to finish 34-48.

Keep Getting Better

This Philadelphia 76ers team is improving with each game. It was not so long ago that the team was dead last in offense at 92.8 points per game. Now, at 99.2 points per game, is miraculous. While the team stresses defense, that has been a tougher area to develop due to injuries and need to experiment at center.

But with the team now having access to Nerlens Noel, who is very motivated to put a good showing in his final year of his contract. So far, Noel has had playing time in 10 of the team’s 35 games. The average points allowed in his games has been 103.0 points per game. Had the 76ers managed that all season, the team would be 11th in the NBA in points allowed.

The team has defensive standouts on the roster. Robert Covington has made huge strides this season. Gerald Henderson is very good in that department. And surprisingly, the teams best defensive games occurred when T.J. McConnell has started in back to back games for the team at point guard (79 points at Detroit, 88 points at New Orleans).

Dec 14, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons on the players bench during the second quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. The Toronto Raptors won 123.114. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Where You Ben?

Does it all hinge on the health of rookie Ben Simmons? Perhaps not. But the path to 20 appears to be more favorable with his scoring in the lineup. So when will he be ready? Well, the current projected timeline is to see Ben Simmons on the court sometime in February 2017. That is a far cry better than the news we learned back in October 2016:

Surgery was required because this was diagnosed at a Jones’ Fracture in his fifth metatarsal. While the surgery takes 8-10 weeks to heal, that simply permits Simmons to begin training again. And yes, he has.

In fact, the return of Ben Simmons is near. So near, that media is open to discussing the date now.

Whether early or mid February, don’t expect the young man to light up the sky with 20 points and 10 assists in his first few games. He will have a learning curve about the NBA, about his teammates, and his teammates and coaches will have a learning curve about him.

Oct 21, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown looks on in the game against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Catalyst

When Simmons gets back, so does the Brett Brown playbook. In the first half of the season, Brown has navigated through who can play and for how long. In the second half of the season, look for the focus to be turned towards how well can they play.

These Philadelphia 76ers have some surprises up their sleeves for the NBA. Recall going to the wire with the Golden State Warriors last season?   It was then that Brown placed his own version of small ball onto the court.

Reach For The Stars

Brown can use a small ball lineup when need be, and he has had some success with it. But if truth be told, Brown has options to run a much larger problem for his NBA opponents: Tall Ball.
From the moment 6-foot-10 Ben Simmons lines up with 7-foot-2 Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers will have a unique look.  That “only team in the NBA” dynamics will give the 76ers an edge.

And right now, that edge is what this team needs.

Pieces are beginning to fall into place. The team has competitive players at each NBA position, and the team is beginning to play well together. With the arrival of Simmons, Brett Brown will have the cornerstones for the future in place.

So When Is That 20th Victory?

It required 35 games for the 76ers to win 10. Look for the next 10 wins to require 30. That places the 20th victory of this team in the middle of March 2017.  Of course, that presumes no major injuries to starters or key players off the bench going forward. Will this team compete in the 2017 NBA Playoffs?

Doubtful. But a strong finish to 25-30 wins this season would be nearly as effective. You see, the Philadelphia 76ers can finish strong and still do very well in the 2017 NBA Draft.

It has been several years since the Philadelphia 76ers had 20 wins in their sights. But don’t get too used to it. The team will have 40 plus wins in sight next season.

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