Any NBA fan whose worth his time knows the arduous process the city of Philadelphia and their 76ers had to go through for the last couple of years. Famously known as "The Process", the Sixers went through several years of terrible basketball to acquire the talent the team and the city so-desperately need.
Their 4-13 regular season record isn't showing that much of an improvement compared to their previous seasons, but the quality of basketball they've been playing are eye-opening. Led by a surging Joel Embiid, the Sixers are slowly validating The Process of ex-Sixers GM Sam Hinkie.
The foundation of this year's Sixers starts with the Shirley Temple-loving Embiid. The 22-year-old Cameroonian is playing some of the most dominant basketball ever seen out of an NBA rookie. Both YardBarker and USA Today can't help but sing praises of Embiid's astounding per 36-minute numbers.
While Embiid is clearly the top dog among the Sixers, the other role players are stepping up as well. ESPN shows that Ersan Ilyasova is having one of his best starts to date, hitting his shots well across the board. Jahlil Okafor has become a consistent producer and a viable trade piece for the Sixers, producing 10 points and a block every night.
Sergio Rodriguez also made a successful return to the NBA, establishing himself as the glue that keeps the offense moving. YouTube analyst BBALLBREAKDOWN thoroughly explained how Rodriguez can facilitate the basketball in a way that benefits the team. Sixers rookie Dario Saric is slowly getting used to the flow of the game as he establishes his role as a starter.
The number of fouls and turnovers committed per game are still hurting the Sixers' chances of winning games. Embiid especially needs to be more careful with the basketball as he has no one to help him win games.
However, it was impressive to see how the Sixers played against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They were actually ahead of the NBA champions for a good chunk of the game; only to fail in the game's dying minutes as the Cavs' championship experience helped them steal the W away from home.
Sixers fans have a lot to look forward to this season. The team's playing exciting basketball again. They're managing to make the top teams sweat for the W. And we're not even adding Ben Simmons to the conversation.
