The NBA postseason is not promised for the Philadelphia 76ers, but one Hall-of-Famer believes their potential is limitless.
The Sixers have been on a tear in April, winning six straight games — including a victory over the contending Oklahoma City Thunder. Superstar center Joel Embiid is averaging 30 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 51.4% shooting in four games since returning from injury.
Former Sixers great Charles Barkley believes Philadelphia is a team to fear come playoff time.
“If the Sixers hold onto the No. 7 spot, they will beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA playoffs,” Barkley predicted last night.
Fellow analyst and retired NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal was appalled by Barkley’s take, jokingly saying he'll bet his car that the Sixers won't make it out of the Play-In Tournament if they have to face Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. The Bucks were upset by the eighth-seeded Heat in last year’s opening round before Miami advanced to the NBA Finals.
Chuck: “If the Sixers hold onto the No. 7 spot, they will beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the First Round of the NBA playoffs.”
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 12, 2024
Do you agree with the Chuckster? 👀 pic.twitter.com/5WpTtlhoZV
One reason for Barkley’s lack of confidence in the Bucks is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s calf strain, which occurred on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics. The injury will sideline Antetokounmpo for the remainder of the regular season as he receives treatment ahead of the playoffs.
Health would be a huge factor in a potential Sixers-Bucks series. Embiid and Antetokounmpo are both trying to get back to 100%, while Damian Lillard is dealing with an adductor strain.
The Sixers are better than their 45-35 record indicates and they seem to be getting hot at the right time, which is why Shannon Sharpe recently picked the Sixers as the biggest threat to the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
While Embiid and the Sixers have been a terrific regular-season team, they have faced criticism for not being able to win the playoffs. Embiid certainly hopes to change that narrative with a deep postseason run this year.
While Embiid is clearly the Sixers' most important player, the emergence of Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. have been huge for Philadelphia. Maxey became a first-time All-Star, averaging career-highs in points (25.9), assists (6.3), rebounds (3.7), steals (1.0), blocks (.5) and 3s (3.0). Oubre is averaging 15.5 points and 5.0 rebounds on 44.3% shooting from the field.
The Sixers return to action on Friday evening against Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic in a game with seeding implications.
