FanPost

The Sixers have been better than we thought

So, 8-7 feels great as a Sixers fan, right? When you're used to go through multiple 2-3 weeks stretches a season where the team is lucky to win one game, 8-7 seems like a 10 game winning streak. Well, I'm here to tell you the Sixers have been better than their record suggests.

1. Schedule - The Sixers have gotten through the toughest schedule in the NBA thus far. 10 of their 15 games have been on the road. Among those 15 games, they have played all 4 of their games against the top 2 West teams (Warriors and Rockets) and have played 4 games against the top 4 East seeds as well (Celtics, Raptors, Pistons, Wizards). Strength of Schedule Rankings

2. Two heartbreaking losses - The Sixers could easily be 10-5. The 1st Rockets game, was an absolutely brutal loss, on an Eric Gordon buzzer beater, in a game the Sixers looked to have put away with under a minute left. The Kings game was almost as big of a gut punch, with The Kings getting a 5 point possession after a questionable call on JJ Redick followed by a ridiculous Garrett Temple three ball off of a loose ball scramble. That sequence set up the Fox jumper and Embiid miss. Sure there have been a couple of close-ish games that the Sixers won, but nothing like those two losses.

3. The Refs - The Sixers have been on the wrong end of a ton of bad calls. I hate that I am writing this, because it feels like such a cop out, but I do believe it to be true. And it really comes down to how the refs call Joel Embiid, there have been a couple of games that the refs did a good job, but I feel like more often than not the refs have not figured out how to call Embiid. He's like a young Shaq and is so big that they are letting guys push and hit him, that normally should be called fouls. I expect the refereeing to improve as the season goes on, but so far, it feels like the Sixers have gotten the short end of the stick.

4. The Eye Test - Obviously subjective, but when the Sixers are moving the ball there is a purpose, and a crispness that hasn't been there in years past. The obvious reason is Ben Simmons. Not only is he a great initiator, but his passing has definitely been contagious as a team. As bad as the 3rd quarter was against the Warriors, the first half gave us so much reason for optimism in the near future.

Before the season, a lot of members of this community talked about the Sixers having a shot at 50 wins this year. I thought that was absurd. You don't integrate your primary rookie ball handler along with several other new players into a 26 win team and come out with 50 wins. I thought 40 wins was a very nice improvement and solid prediction. But after watching the Sixers, even with a modest 8-7 start, I think they are closer to a 50 win team than a 40 win team. I'll settle in at 47-35 as my final prediction for this year after what we've witnessed so far.

A user-created LB joint. The Liberty Ballers staff does not contribute to FanPosts.