If the Denver Nuggets do not win a title this season, a near certainty according to FiveThirtyEight’s NBA projections, it will happen in a predictable way. In four games of a seven-game series, an opponent will score more points than they will. This will happen because the Nuggets will miss some shots they often make.
Philadelphia 76ers
I don’t know what nerve Joel Embiid touched within Eric Bledsoe, but it was a big one. It’s no secret that Joel Embiid had been buying up real estate in the minds of his opponents, and it appears Eric Bledsoe is the latest one he’s put a house in. That’s not just me saying that
We have seen some epic flops over our lifetime, but none may be able to top what Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons tried to accomplish against the Bucks. What we saw Joel Embiid try to accomplish on Sunday was something that should be enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Granted, we have seen our
As one would expect from a 76ers-Celtics matchup, things got a bit chippy between these two Eastern Conference powerhouses. The rivalry between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics is one of the best in sports, and last night the NBA world was reminded why. With the playoffs almost around the corner, these two teams are jocking
While the Atlantic Division has been the class of the league in 2018-19, it is also ripe for change come free agency. I covered the potential for change in Toronto last week – the Raptors looked well-positioned for the present as well as the future– but it’s not only Toronto that could be in for
Joel Embiid will miss another big matchup on Saturday when his Philadelphia 76ers will face the defending champion Golden State Warriors. Joel Embiid will once again miss another crucial game for the Philadelphia 76ers. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia, Embiid has been ruled out for their Saturday night tilt with the defending champion Golden State
Jimmy Butler didn’t make many fans when he forced his way out of Minnesota, but the Philadelphia 76ers guard still deserves a place in the NBA All-Star Game. With the NBA All-Star reserves being announced this Thursday, there is naturally a lot of talk about which players are deserving for those coveted spots. When it
The NBA regular season is a marathon, not a sprint. The action after the All-Star break is filled with teams giving younger players an extended look, franchises making a deliberate playoff push while trying to sneak in rest for their stars and some squads dare we say it – tanking. Every season there are more
For the past few years, the death of rivalries has been an endlessly recycled talking point. The idea is that NBA players are too friendly and it’s diluted the league’s competitive spirit. It’s also absurd. NBA rivalries are as intense as they’ve ever been and this week at The Step Back, we’re celebrating the rivalries
The Philadelphia 76ers got better by adding Tobias Harris to their squad, but JJ Redick is playing like he’s pissed off not to be included in the Sixers’ big four. The Philadelphia 76ers filled out their starting five in dramatic fashion before the NBA trade deadline by adding Tobias Harris to take Wilson Chandler’s place.
While the teams above them get ready to stand pat or just contemplate a trade deadline move, the 76ers have acquired Tobias Harris. While NBA fans anticipate the other Los Angeles team making a big trade, and other top Eastern Conference teams consider moves, the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers have come together. According
The day after the trade deadline passed, LeBron James had some interesting things to say about the arms race that was going down between the Eastern Conference titans. “They know they ain’t gotta go through Cleveland anymore,” James said. “Everybody in the East thinks they can get to the Finals because they ain’t gotta go
As his Boston Celtic teammates got some shots up to prepare for a morning practice in Cleveland, Gordon Hayward sat in a chair on the baseline watching. Quicken Loans Arena held a particular place in his mind. Not because of a championship memory, nor for any individual accomplishment. But because nearly five months after an
Last year’s battle for Rookie of the Year was one of the more contentious in recent history. Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell battled for the honor with many questioning whether or not Simmons counted as a “true” rookie since he had sat out what would have been his first season due to injury. Simmons ended
Throughout the week, Basketball Insiders has released post-deadline rankings on teams in various divisions around the NBA, and next up is the Southwest Division. The Southwest is incredibly diverse this season. It features a team that is gunning for the NBA Finals, teams that can’t decide to what extent they want to tank and everything
Ben Simmons appears to lack confidence as a shooter, but his legit attempt from beyond the arc on Sunday looks like a sign that’s changing. Over 136 NBA games now, Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons has attempted just 14 3-pointers. Every other part of his game is solid, as he’s averaging 16.7 points, 9.2 rebounds
Joel Embiid is struggling when being defended by Al Horford, and that has to change for the Philadelphia 76ers to reach their ceiling. Tuesday night’s marquee NBA matchup featured the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, in a game that may have implications for playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics went home with a
Markelle Fultz, whose jumper has made him an object of scorn in Philadelphia, should form a mutually beneficial partnership with Orlando, who got him at little to no risk. The weirdest domino of the 2019 trade deadline fell when Philadelphia traded Markelle Fultz to Orlando. Fultz’s value at this point largely stems from his prior
Someone made an “NBA Jams” t-shirt featuring Ben Simmons’ 3-point rating. It’s both real brutal and incredibly hilarious. When Ben Simmons, the superstar guard of the Philadelphia 76ers, shoots 3-pointers, the memes come out. One actually decided to put it in t-shirt form, and it was both real brutal and incredibly hilarious at the same
With a loaded starting lineup ready for a playoff run, the 76ers have now added some needed bench depth by acquiring James Ennis at the trade deadline. The Philadelphia 76ers have seemingly been the most active team at the NBA trade deadline thus far. Early on Wednesday morning, Philadelphia bolstered its already stacked lineup by
Remember when the consensus with the NBA Trade Deadline was that it was going to be pretty boring with more buyers than sellers? Those were some good times, because a lot has changed since then. Suddenly, the Grizzlies decided to end their golden age of basketball, Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks divorced and rumors are swirling
Remember when the consensus with the NBA Trade Deadline was that it was going to be pretty boring with more buyers than sellers? Those were some good times, because a lot has changed since then. Suddenly, the Grizzlies decided to end their golden age of basketball, Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks divorced and rumors are swirling
Remember when the consensus with the NBA Trade Deadline was that it was going to be pretty boring with more buyers than sellers? Those were some good times, because a lot has changed since then. Suddenly, the Grizzlies decided to end their golden age of basketball, Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks divorced and rumors are swirling
Circumstance after strange circumstance have turned Markelle Fultz’s time with the 76ers into a spectacle, and if he wants to prosper in the NBA he might need to do it on another team. When the Philadelphia 76ers swapped picks with the Boston Celtics to move up and draft Markelle Fultz the move wasn’t particularly controversial. Fultz
The Deadline Should Be Fun The February 7th, 2019 NBA Trade Deadline is just around the corner, and given the number of high profile names said to be available, it could make this one of the more interesting deadlines to watch. Historically, there are usually 10 to 14 deadline transactions per year, with most of
After trading for Jimmy Butler, expect the 76ers to be aggressive upgrading small holes on the bench to prep for an NBA Finals run. The 76ers have been perhaps the NBA’s most entertaining teams the past two seasons, navigating scandal and injuries as well as the blossoming of their superstar young players into a championship-caliber
The NBA transaction wire has been a quiet one this season. The early season trade of Jimmy Butler notwithstanding, there has been little movement outside of the occasional waiver claim or short-term contract. With the Feb. 7 trade deadline fast approaching on the horizon, however, that could change rather quickly. The rumor mill has already
The NBA Trade Deadline is rapidly approaching and the number of teams looking to add talent grows with every day and new injury. Chatter is beginning to heat up with rumors and speculation picking up in the last few days. We kicked off a new series this week at Basketball Insiders, examining each division across
Back by the popular demand of pretty much only myself, it’s the second annual edition of Around the NBA in 15 Trades. We’re taking all 30 teams in the lead up to the Feb. 7 trade deadline and finding a happy middle ground for prosperous barterdom. After a blockbuster on Day 1, let’s keep the
As outsiders, it’s easy to make generalizations, to misunderstand the actual dynamics happening on the court and overlook legitimate reasons for a player to be frustrated. For example, how could Butler be upset with his role in the 76ers offense when, numerically, he’s getting almost the exact same opportunities he received in Minnesota? In Philadelphia, Butler