Quote (Sixers @ Feb 25 2020 11:23am)
My take for the remainder of the season:
76ers are currently 0.5 back from the Heat for the #4 seed and have the "easiest" remaining schedule in the NBA in terms of opponent win percentage for their remaining 24 games.
The Miami Heat started the season 27-10, but since then they're 9-11 over their last 20 games. With losses to the Kings, Hawks and Cavs highlighting their recent struggles.
Realistically, best case scenario for the Sixers this season is the #3 seed as they're 4 games back from Boston with 24 games remaining. Most likely scenario is the Sixers take the #4 seed and still get matched up with Miami who would slide in at #5 in the first round. The key will be home court because as we know the Sixers turn into a G-League team on the road. Philly/Miami in the first round would be quite an entertaining series (although not exactly an ideal matchup for the Sixers), but having the opportunity to be the team that knocks Jimmy Butler out of the first round would be entertaining to say the least.
Knock off Miami in the first round, and then it's gut check time against Milwaukee in the second round and we see what this team is really about. I could very well see a game 7 in that series with the Sixers defending home court as they have done all season, but once again in that scenario it would come down to winning a game 7 on the road which seems so challenging at this point.
Of course getting Simmons back healthy before the end of the season will be a key factor in our chances in all of this.
I count 10 road games left on their schedule, far from the “easiest” remaining schedule given how poor they’ve been on the road.