With the initial wave of NBA free agency behind us, a strange narrative is developing within the discourse: the idea of the Philadelphia 76ers as Eastern Conference contenders. Yes, the same Philadelphia 76ers franchise that finished 24-58 last season, good for the fifth-worst record in the league. It’s true! Here’s an article on SB Nation (a terrific site!) on Tuesday, titled, “The Sixers might have accidentally stumbled back into championship contention.”
The national folks are spinning that same yarn, as well. On this recent ESPN segment covering the Sixers, Tim Legler says (4:18 mark), “The bottom line is, the talent is there and if they’re healthy, they’re going to make noise in the Eastern Conference.