CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 28: Elton Brand #42 of the Philadelphia 76ers slaps teammate Spencer Hawes #00 on the back at the end of a win over the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on March 28, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The 76ers defeated the Bulls 97-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
John Hollinger, ESPN - 13th (6th in East)
Marc Stein, ESPN - 15th (6th in East)
Only the Thibodeau Bulls have improved more since last season than Doug Collins' Sixers. Yet the immediate focus in Philly, I'm afraid, has to be on the recent defensive slippage and iffy health (Iguodala and Lou Williams).
Hollinger Playoff Odds - 100% (projected 43-39)
Tom Ziller, SB Nation - 15th (6th in East)
Has Doug Collins sucked all he can out of the Sixers, or do they have another level to reach down deep into for the playoffs? Tuesday's game against potential first round opponent Boston could be a good test.
Kurt Helin, PBT - 13th (5th in East)
We've been saying they can scare one of the East elite in the first round, but only if Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams get healthy.
HoopsWorld - 14th (5th in East)
Suddenly the Knicks are challenging from below but the Sixers are a lock for either the sixth or seventh seed which means Miami or Boston.
John Schuhmann, NBA.com - 13th (5th in East)
The biggest difference between last year's 27-55 Sixers and this year's team is how well they defend the 3-point line. They ranked 30th in 3-point defense last season (39.3 percent) and third this season (33.7). Thaddeus Young had a big week, averaging 19.8 points on 59 percent shooting as Philly went 3-1.
Composite: 13.8 (5.5 in East)
Bonus: According to Basketball Reference's Wins Pythagorean the Sixers should be 44-33 instead of 40-37.
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Rookie Rankings: Evan Turner remains 13th in David Thorpe Rookie Rankings (ESPN).
Awful in summer league and early in the regular season, Turner is starting to look as though he'll end up being a pretty good player. It's been challenging for the second overall pick, who has had to adjust more than any other player in this class to learn how to play without the ball in his hands a lot, but he's been looking more comfortable now. Although consistency is still a problem for Turner, that's partially because both his minutes and his opportunities fluctuate from game to game. In March, he has seen as many as 28 minutes in a game and as few as four minutes. So it's no surprise to see he's gone scoreless in four games this month but also scoring 20 points in a fifth game.
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