Staff
The Philadelphia 76ers’ season hasn’t gone according to plan. Despite the addition of Al Horford, the re-signed Tobias Harris, and Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, they’re mired in a mediocre season right now. It’s not what any Sixers fan, or NBA fan, had imagined.
On the opening night of the season, the Bucks and 76ers were neck-and-neck in the odds to win the East, sitting at about +165 and +185, respectively. But with Milwaukee rolling to an NBA-best 42-7 record and Philly sitting in the #6 seed, the odds have turned into Milwaukee vs. the field, and the Bucks are currently the slight favorite at -125. The 76ers remain the second-favorite at about +450 thanks to the upside of their starting five, but the idea of a team with a 9-18 road record winning three series without home-court advantage does not inspire confidence. Now that we know the latest favorite; being informed on the reliable sites to wager on is essential too, with this top five list here you can browse through and bet with confidence.
Despite the Sixers’ underwhelming season, they’re still the second-favorite to win the East. Despite a poor road record, the Sixers own the best home record in the league, propelling them to a generous outlook by the bookmakers. However, that’s not keeping them in the top-4 of the East currently. After Thursday’s trade deadline, the only pieces the Sixers added were Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III from the Warriors for three second-round picks in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.
76ers have fortified their bench with two veteran scorers and shooters — Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III. Three second-rounders (Dallas 2020, Denver 2021, Toronto 2022) sent to Warriors.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2020
Things surrounding the Sixers have gotten so bad, that Josh Richardson, who hasn’t even been a 76er for a full season yet, organized a player’s only meeting to try to inspire the team.
NBA insider @ShamsCharania reports Josh Richardson led a players-only meeting Wednesday to galvanize the team. pic.twitter.com/32v22RJO1A
— Stadium (@Stadium) February 6, 2020
Hopefully, Sixers leaders Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid have already tried this approach, because both of those superstars are under the microscope more than anybody else in Philly sports right now. Simmons is still young enough to understand some of the flaws in his game, but we’re not seeing changes. It’s the same thing, game after game, and Brett Brown has yet to address it on the court. He certainly doesn’t mind addressing it to the media, though.
Brett Brown: “our defense was poor.” pic.twitter.com/7ou3z4ABrt
— Five Reasons Sports Network (@5ReasonsSports) February 4, 2020
At some point, Brown’s going to have to demand more on the court from his stars. But he’ll be the first domino to drop should general manager Elton Brand believe he has lost this team.
Simmons and Embiid must take over the team and continue to work on their games so they can complement each other. Thus far, it seems like when they’re both on the court, the Sixers are not actually at their maximized potential. Can Brown get these stars to carry the team on their respective backs into the post-season? Time will tell. But we all know the coach will become the first casualty in regards to this roster. Then the question will become this: Who can replace Brown?