NBA Swing: Philadelphia 76ers and Their Surprising Performance So Far

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The Philadelphia 76ers, although only in 8th place in the Eastern Conference of the NBA, have recently had much attention in the media, and their fans are very excited. We found out on Monday that Sixers center Jhalil Okafor is basically done in Philadelphia, as he has only played a total of 25 minutes this season and scored 10 points. In the first two seasons of his career, he played regularly but has never been considered an all-around player that can cover multiple areas. After this season, Okafor will he considered a free agent. With the release of this news earlier in the day on the 20th, word will definitely be spreading!

The 76ers currently hold the record for the most consecutive playoff appearances by having 22 straight appearances between 1950 and 1971. However, they have not won a playoff series since 1983, where they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in four games.

It is easy for fans to give up hope of seeing their team win a playoff series anytime soon because they have faced struggles throughout the years. Currently, they have a record of 9-7 on the season with a .563 winning percentage. Although this is not a fantastic record, it puts them in 7th place in the Eastern Conference, right behind the New York Knicks. Center Joel Embiid is one player to thank for the recent success of this previous 0-3 team at the beginning of this season. He helped the team significantly when they defeated the 3-0 Brooklyn Nets by a score of 133-114.

At the 2:30 mark in the first quarter, Embiid blocked a 6-foot jumper by Alan Crabbe of the Nets. He continued to contribute defensively, but throughout the game, he also helped on the offensive end by having 11 points and 4 rebounds in only 6 minutes of playing time. With the way Embiid has played so far this season, he is a guy that the media has been discussing in detail and a player that fans are excited to see going forward. If he continues to play the way that he is, then the 76ers have a chance of seeing another NBA playoff series in 2018.

The Philadelphia 76ers have had an exciting season so far, and people are anxious to see what they will do with the rest of their season. If you think this team is not a threat to other teams, especially ones in the Eastern Conference, you may want to watch out for them! Last night, they defeated the Utah Jazz easily by a score of 107-86. Usually, they do not get much attention because they are typically not a threat to the top teams in the conference, but much like the New York Knicks, they have surprised many people so far this season. It will be interesting to see how their season turns out!