Philadelphia 76ers Win A Stacked Atlantic Division In 2022-23
2022-23 will be a referendum on all things "Philadelphia 76ers". There are fair questions surrounding the Sixers that will not be answered until the playoffs.
Is James Harden washed? Does Philly GM Daryl Morey still know what he's doing and does he have too much faith in Harden? Is coach Doc Rivers the right guy for this team? Is Joel Embiid a player you can build a title team around?
The Sixers could be in the NBA Finals or bounced out in the first two rounds of the playoffs. But, I'm very confident Philly will look the part of an NBA Finals contender during the regular season. So are NBA GMs.
BET: Philadelphia 76ers win the Atlantic Division (+300)
In the NBA GM Survey, executives give the Sixers the 3rd-best chance of winning the East, Embiid the 3rd-best chance of being NBA MVP and ranks Philly 2nd in best offseason moves.
The Harden-Embiid pick-and-roll action (PnR) is going to be impossible for 27 of the other 29 teams to defend. More importantly, Harden's confidence is sky-high entering this season.
Aside from any motion offense surrounding Steph Curry, Philly's PnR featuring Harden and Embiid should be the easiest offense in the Association.
According to CleaningTheGlass.com (CtG), when both Embiid and Harden are on the floor, the Sixers are +15.8 points per 100 possession in non-garbage time. This grades out in the 99th percentile of all 5-man lineups in the NBA.
Also, Philly improved its supporting cast this offseason. The Sixers' acquisition of F P.J. Tucker acquisition is tied for the 2nd-most underrated move and picking up De'Anthony Melton is 4th, per NBA GMs.
To be a legit title contender in the NBA, you need a 3rd go-to guy. Sixers G Tyrese Maxey checks that box for me. Maxey was in the 90th percentile of combo guards for points per shot attempt (per CtG) with a true shooting rate of 59.4% (.485/.427/.866).
The Sixers are more of a known commodity than the other teams in the Atlantic. There's no way you can count on a normal, disruption- and injury-free season from the Brooklyn Nets. Who knows what circus will unfold with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and/or Ben Simmons?
The Boston Celtics are going through coaching turmoil, still don't have a legit point guard and already suffered a season-ending injury to would-be rotation player, Danilo Gallinari.
Despite all their question marks, the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS TO WIN THE ATLANTIC DIVISION (+300) at DraftKings Sportbook is an NBA future worth taking a shot at.
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 1:30 p.m. ET