The Philadelphia 76ers may have had one of the best off-seasons in NBA history, but not everybody is so optimistic about their title chances next year.
Vegas in particular has some heavy doubts about the Sixers and how they stack up against the rest of the Eastern Conference.
Per Draft Kings, Philly has been given an over/under for their upcoming regular season win total of just 49.5 games.
Click the image for live odds
Normally, clearing 49 wins would be a commendable feat, one indicative of a decent postseason threat. However, compared to the Sixers’ own lofty expectations for their team, winning just 50 regular season games should come off as a massive disappointment.
That low number comes despite a fantastic summer from Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey.
In this past off-season, he was able to re-sign former Most Valuable Player James Harden to a team-friendly contract that allowed the organization additional flexibility to accumulate further talent around their new superstar duo consisting of the Beard and Joel Embiid.
Thanks to Harden’s financial sacrifice, Morey and the Sixers were able to add P.J. Tucker and Danuel House in free agency; two 3-and-D wings that have plenty of experience playing alongside the Beard.
This came after a successful draft day in which Philly was able to flip a late first-round pick in return for a stellar point-of-attack defender and ball-handler in De’Anthony Melton.
Despite all of their fantastic additions and a projected full season with Harden, Vegas doesn’t expect much of an improvement in the Sixers’ record from last year. In 2021-2022, Philly won 51 games while dealing with Ben Simmons and his drama and didn’t acquire Harden until just before the trade deadline.
After adding the Beard to a core consisting of Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers quickly became one of the most formidable attacks in the entire league, even with Harden playing while compromised with injury.
With a full season with a healthier Harden, more team chemistry built up, and the additional depth that Morey added in the summer, there’s no reason that the Sixers shouldn’t surpass both their win total from last season and the 49.5 projected regular-season wins set by Vegas.
Even with a stronger Eastern Conference, no team can top Philly’s top-end talent or their depth. Regardless of how this team fares in the postseason, this squad was built to dominate in the regular season led by two top-10 players still amid their primes.
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| Title: Why the Philadelphia 76ers will win over 49.5 games
| Author: Andy Quach
| Date: Sep 15, 2022
