Early in the NBA season it’s always difficult to separate reality from noise. Small sample sizes throw everything out of whack. (Like the Grizzlies being 4–1 with a minus-1.7 net rating.) And teams can’t hide from garish records. A 1–4 stretch in February is a lot different than having a “1” in the win column five games into the season.
Which brings us to the Philadelphia 76ers.
They are owners of one of those 1–4 records. The defense has been atrocious. The James Harden-Joel Embiid partnership bears watching. And the offseason acquisitions haven’t been as impactful as many people (myself included) expected.
