Thanks to some recent developments, the Philadelphia 76ers suddenly have the stylings of a team that could eventually shock a lot of people next season — in a good way. Almost out of nowhere, Joel Embiid appears to be in his best playing shape in years, which will be a massive lift for one of the league’s most talented rosters, at least on paper.
Having said that, getting back to contention would require a lot more than Embiid’s nightly appearance for the 76ers. Their young players need to pan out and be NBA-ready right from the get go, and veteran players like Paul George also have no margin of error if this team aims to return to relevance.