The Philadelphia 76ers have defied the experts so far this season by boasting a 5-4 record that has them among the top three teams in the Eastern conference behind only the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat.
Coming into the season the Sixers were expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA. All-star point guard Jrue Holiday left in an offseason trade and first-round draft pick Nerlens Noel is out for the season. Despite that the team has played well together and beat some of the most talented teams in the NBA, including, the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and the Houston Rockets.
Perhaps the roster changes Sixers general manager, Sam Hinkie made were for the better. The Holiday trade upset many Sixers fans when it took place, but rebuilding seems to be working in the Sixers favor. Last season, in their first nine games they had the same exact 5-4 record as this season.
Much of the success has come from first-round draft pick Michael Carter-Williams. Although he was great in college, many did not expect him to become a star in the NBA due to his lack of athleticism. But so far, Carter-Williams is playing like the NBA’s rookie of the year, averaging 17.4 points per game, 7.6 assists, and 5.4 rebounds according to nba.com.
“They’re playing decent,” said Sebastian Marsan, a biology major “They are using their youth to set the tempo defensively.”
Carter-Williams success on the court has also been an influence on many of his teammates including small forward Evan Turner who is in the final year of his contract. Turner’s best season was last year, when he averaged 13 points per game, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. This season Turner is playing like an all-star who wants a big contract extension with 23 points per game, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists according to nba.com.
Large contributions are also coming from the Sixers center Spencer Hawes. Hawes is playing some of the best basketball of his NBA career with 16 points and 10 rebounds a game. Last season Hawes averaged just 9 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist per game according to nba.com.
With the emergence of a young Sixers roster, many are curious as to what is the cause of this. When last season’s head coach Doug Collins left the team many fans were disappointed because of good coaching ability. After a long coaching search the Sixers were able to find a more than able replacement in Brett Brown. So far Brown is rewarding his bosses by putting the team in a better position than they have been in years.
“They’re doing good right now for a young team, Abul Olatunbosun, a physical assistant major said. They beat big teams and are beating them in overtime.”
Brown was the assistant coach of the San Antonio Spurs from 2007-2013. While Brown was the assistant coach, the Spurs won an NBA Championship and made appearances in the Western Conference Finals twice and the NBA finals once. Perhaps, San Antonio Spurs head coach Greg Popovich was an influence on Brown’s coaching tactics.
The team’s bench still needs a lot of improvement, but overall, the team is playing great basketball. Carter-Williams, Turner, and Hawes are emerging as Philadelphia’s own “Big-Three”. Fans are just hoping the success can continue for the rest of the season. If the team continues to play this well, Philadelphia might finish with one of the best records in the Eastern Conference.