Previewing The 76ers’ Second Half Of The Regular Season
The Philadelphia 76ers have played 41 games this season.
That means the season is exactly halfway complete.
It has been a mixed bag of results through the first half for Philadelphia.
They got off to a slow start after a strong offseason, not reaching .500 until the 14th game of the season.
James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey missed a combined 45 games so the opening night starting lineup has shared the court for little time.
But they have been better since starting 7-7.
The 76ers are 18-9 since that time and currently sit at 25-16 – fifth in the Eastern Conference.
What will the second half of the season bring for the 76ers?
76ers Have Toughest Remaining Schedule
While the 25-16 start is decent, it leaves them little wiggle room down the stretch.
This could be concerning since the 76ers have the toughest remaining schedule in the league.
We have the highest remaining schedule strength according to Tankathon; what …
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#76ers #Basketball #NationalBasketballAssociation #NBA #NBAEasternConference #NBAEasternConferenceAtlanticDivision #Pennsylvania #Philadelphia #Philadelphia76ers pic.twitter.com/xappQlcLUe— Raw Chili (@raw_chili) January 12, 2023
Philadelphia faces the three teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference a combined eight times the rest of the way.
They also face the Denver Nuggets twice, Cleveland Cavaliers twice, and Memphis Grizzlies once.
This gives the team plenty of opportunities to make up ground but will need to be at their best.
Philadelphia has gone 3-4 against the top three teams in each conference to start the season.
They will have plenty of opportunities to improve that mark in the second half.
Better Health?
With Embiid and Harden on the team, there is no guarantee this team will be fully healthy the rest of the way.
But after both their stars and Maxey all missed double-digit games in the first half, Philadelphia will be hoping the injury bug is moving on.
It remains to be seen what Daryl Morey and Co. do at the deadline, but better health may be just what the team needs.
Despite dealing with injuries to Embiid, Harden, and Maxey this season, the Philadelphia 76ers are 25-15 and just 4.0 games back of the Celtics for the No. 1 seed in the East. ?https://t.co/epNI3cvQ0a
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) January 12, 2023
Embiid, Harden, and Maxey have only shared the court for nine games this season.
It is tough for a team to build chemistry when their three best players have played together so little.
Look for the 76ers to improve as their Big 3 gets more minutes together.
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