Who are the Sixers counterparts on the Eagles?

With the city sure to be celebrating the Eagles Super Bowl win for an extended period of time, other sports around the city may be forgotten about for a little while. Known for their underdog status during the playoffs, another team actually shares several similarities with the Eagles, that team being the Sixers. A team on the younger side of the league, the Sixers came into this season with bigger expectations than years prior, and for the most part are living up to those expectations. No, things aren’t always pretty, but the team is contending. Dealing with injuries much like the Eagles, the Sixers haven’t given up and are staying on track to reach the playoffs for the first time in five years.

The city bands together behind their sports teams unlike any other city in the country. Something special is brewing in Philadelphia, the Eagles are leading the charge, but the Sixers may not be far behind. The reasoning behind this is because of the similarities many of these players share with each other. While the Sixers aren’t at the level of success that the Eagles have reached, the player comparisons between the two teams makes that success seem very possible. Here are the top Sixers that compare most closely to the new Super Bowl champion Eagles:

Joel Embiid-Carson Wentz: Finding a counterpart for the Eagles injured quarterback was a tough one, as both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons could have arguments for the comparison. In the end it is Joel Embiid who most resembles Carson Wentz, both are franchise cornerstones who are beloved by fans not only because of their great play, but also because of their personalities. Wentz is more laid back than Embiid, but both give the city a sense that they want to be at the top of the sports world from a young age.

Ben Simmons-Fletcher Cox: This was the comparison that was the strangest. If Ben Simmons isn’t the most comparable to Carson Wentz then what other franchise player is he most like? So far this season Simmons has shown a defensive game that is much farther ahead than where he is on offense, and that is perfectly fine for such a young player. At the beginning of his career Fletcher Cox wasn’t much more than a run stuffer, but the more he played the more he learned to be an effective player by doing more than just stopping the run. Now one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, Cox still stops the run with the best of them, but now can get to the quarterback and can handle double teams. The more Ben Simmons plays, the more he will learn. He may be a one dimensional player right now, but when he does learn how to use his talent more on offense he could quickly become one of the better players in the NBA.

J.J. Redick-Alshon Jeffery: J.J. Redick was brought in this offseason on a one year deal to bring some veteran leadership and big play ability to a team that needed a playmaker, almost the same situation as the one Alshon Jeffery found himself in with the Eagles. So far this season Redick has been the spark plug that makes the offense dangerous, which compares well to Jeffery’s big play ability. The stature between the two players couldn’t be more different, as Redick is never the biggest player on the court, while Jeffery commands extra attention because of his height, but the big receiver and “small” shooter are both offensive weapons that their respective teams desperately needed.

T.J. McConnell-Nick Foles: Who would have thought either of these players would become some of the cities favorite athletes? McConnell is a scrappy point guard who has had to fight every step of the way for minutes on the Sixers and Nick Foles was the backup quarterback who had the unenviable task of replacing an MVP caliber player right before the playoffs. Neither are top tier athletes, but the heart they show is what makes them such lovable figures to the city. Nick Foles is going to go down in Philadelphia history as the quarterback that brought the city a Super Bowl, if TJ McConnell stays with the Sixers long term, he could have a Foles-size effect on any future success the team has.

Congratulations to the Eagles on their Super Bowl win, with so much momentum in Philadelphia maybe this big win could help the Sixers in some way. Now that the young team sees what happens when you win it all, they have something to strive for even more.