Philadelphia 76ers: Contenders or pretenders in 2017- 2018 season?

As we look ahead to this upcoming season, do the Philadelphia 76ers have a shot at making some serious moves in the Eastern Conference and beyond?

The national buzz that the Philadelphia 76ers caused this offseason has 76er fans salivating at the idea of finally being able to reap benefits from placing their trust in the process. I mean frankly we had no choice, but now with most of the key components healthy and in place, it’s time to see why former Sixer GM Sam Hinkie is both revered and detested. He set the standard on how to build a team through the draft while continuing to develop the young talent and all while stockpiling picks and dumping hefty salaries.

With the drafting of center Joel Embiid in 2014, the Sixers acquired a chief cornerstone in which you would want to build a franchise upon. Two years later, they draft G/F Ben Simmons who in his own right is a potential franchise changer. If that wasn’t enough this year they manage to move up two spots from the third spot in the draft to the first pick and with that pick they selected G Markelle Fultz.

Well, it will not take long to see whether or not we are watching something special develop before our very eyes or if we are going to be waiting as Fultz and Simmons figure out the NBA game. Granted there is going to be growing pains, however, when looking at the first three games of the season there looms some interesting and challenging matchups from the very beginning.

In less than a month, Philadelphia will be traveling to Washington to open the season on the road against G John Wall and the Wizards. Wall averaged 23.1 points and 10.7 assists last season. His hustle stats rank among the Top 5 in the league as he averaged 3.9 deflections per game and he tied for first in the league with Houston G Patrick Beverly in loose balls recovered while still being tied for first in the league averaging 2.0 steals per game.

Whoever Brett Brown trots out there to run point guard in the first game of the season, they are going to have to face Wall who undoubtedly will play like a bat straight out of hell. A road game in the middle of a passionate, hostile fan base. The first major test for our Process Players.

It doesn’t get any easier because 2 days later in the Home Season Opener Fultz/Simmons will go against Kyrie Irving and the new look defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics. Irving’s 25.2 points last season, were the most averaged by an international player. He is playing for a Boston team that gave up a lot to acquire his deft ball handling skills and clutch scoring ability. He, like Wall, is not going to cut either Fultz or Simmons a break when they face each other and we will get to see early how our “rookies” match up.

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But if that serving sample isn’t enough for you, the very next night the 76ers travel to Toronto to face G Kyle Lowry. And we have seen first-hand the tenacity that Lowry plays with. His averages of 22.4 points, 7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game are all a result of a ferocious but controlled pace that Lowry has displayed for the world since his days at Villanova.

Three games, three strong tests. And the analysis of the “Process” begins early. Detroit Pistons G Ish Smith is waiting in the wings with the fourth game and a double dose of Houston Rockets should really solidify in our minds whether or not we can believe that the Process is in its dying stages and a new movement is prepping to start. The Sixers face Rockets G James Harden twice in a span of 5 days. Sandwiched in between that matchup is a game against rookie PG Dennis Smith Jr. who will be playing to prove that he indeed was the best player in this draft.

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What are these Philadelphia 76ers really going to do this year? Is this just a getting acclimated with each other kind of year or are we going to be fighting tooth and nail to land a prime spot in this years playoff picture? Can Embiid lead the Sixers back to the NBA Finals and can Simmons and Fultz work together and create matchup problems that no team in the league wants to face?

With all the anticipation and excitement surrounding the 2017-2018 Philadelphia 76ers, we will soon find out how to position ourselves as fans…