On Wednesday, Oct. 20 the Philadelphia 76ers will be back in action. They kick off their 2021-2022 season with the New Orleans Pelicans. In spite of a heartbreaking end to their season and issues with Point Guard and star player Ben Simmons, do they have potential? Let’s take a look:

Last season saw the Sixers take a dominant position in the NBA. They held the third highest record that season with an impressive 49 wins and 23 losses. The Sixers even managed to secure the No. 1 playoff seed in the East. They were a force, holding the second highest defensive rating at 107.6 and the thirteenth highest offensive rating at 113.2. The Sixers scored an average of 113.6 points per game with Center and star player Joel Embiid contributing about 28.5 points per game. Best of all, they managed to do all of this with new Head Coach Doc Rivers.

However, everything hit the fan when the Sixers reached the playoffs. It all started with a respectable win against the Washington Wizards, four games to one. The Sixers advanced and were set to play against the Atlanta Hawks, who were coming off an emotional 4-1 victory against the New York Knicks. Nonetheless, the Sixers were feeling good after their win. At least, they were, until they embarrassingly lost their first game against the Hawks. The Sixers ended up losing their series after a heartbreaking loss in the seventh game. This was due to abysmal performances by many players, including Ben Simmons – more on him later. With this, the Sixers’ season was over. 

During the offseason, the Sixers did not really act upon anything. One could even argue that their situation grew worse. 

For starters, since they did so well, they didn’t obtain a good position in the NBA Draft. They didn’t make any significant trades, either. Two of their biggest moves came in the form of contract extensions with Small Forward Danny Green, a player known for his excellent shooting, and main weapon Joel Embiid each getting one.

Of course, who could forget the other major event of this offseason? Ben Simmons, the player that arguably cost the Sixers their season, has made it clear that he doesn’t want to play for this franchise anymore. While fans don’t really want him either, you have to wonder who will fill in his spot. It must be a current Sixer because there simply are not any alternatives; a trade for another star player would cost a terrifying amount. The reason I bring this up is because the Sixers have a very talented player in Joel Embiid, but he won’t last forever. These years are his golden years, and it’s important that the team maximizes our opportunity. Sure, he could come back, but it is highly unlikely that fans will accept him because of all that has happened with him.

With all of this, do the Sixers have any opportunity this upcoming season? The answer is: plenty. The Sixers are definitely going to be a top team this season. They have an immense amount of talent on their team; I already mentioned Joel Embiid, but they also have skilled players in Power Forward Tobias Harris, Shooting Guard Seth Curry, Danny Green and much more. This season is also the second season with Doc Rivers as head coach, and the team chemistry is better. The only real question is whether they will win a championship. 

Now, the possibility for a title is very much real, but there are things to take into account. The Sixers are not the only team with championship aspirations. Teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, and Utah Jazz all have powerful teams and are looking for a title. The reality is that these teams are all much more organized than the Sixers right now. So, you can expect a solid playoff level performance, but unfortunately, that’s about it.