Last season, much like the season before, went better than expected in the regular season and then the playoffs started. And much like seasons past, the 76ers hit a brick wall in the playoffs. Again. So what do we do? Run it back. Again.
To recap, the 76ers started hot and managed to stay among the league's best all season due to a balanced team-first approach. The team got some needed help in the post with former Sixer, Udoka Azubuike joining the fray at the trade deadline but it just was not enough come the playoffs. Fresh off a personal best 64 wins and my first division title, the 76ers entered as the #1 seed and faced off against the defensively stout, Denver Nuggets in Round 2. The Nuggets were a matchup nightmare up and down the lineup, and the Sixers got severely outplayed several times, especially in game 7. Bounced out of the playoffs by the eventual champ. Again.
Fast forward to this year. Rebuilt the frontcourt with Cuomo, Abney, Stephan, and Creighton while adding another veteran scorer in Slim Jenkins. The Process core is still here and despite Winston's TC setback, he is fresh off a career year and will look to rebound. Wiseman and Toppin bounced back nicely from last season's TC fiasco so the Sixers will continue to rely on them as the backbone of the team.
Overall, this team will look a lot like last season's squad. Expect them to be among the league's best during the regular season. And here's to hoping that much of the same will result in some change come playoff time.