The UF Team make a bold call for the NBA’s Eastern Conference winners involving the 76ers
While it is a known fact that the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks are the two standout teams in the Eastern Conference this year, they could well be shaken by a surprise franchise in the playoff this year.
The Philadelphia 76ers has seen their stock drop in the last week, after being on the wrong side of a nail-biting game twice since the All-Star weekend restart.
Joel Embiid has drifted in the regular season MVP race after Nikola Jokic’s phenomenal run of form, and the Eastern Conference top seed looks to be out of reach after an inconsistent run of results for the Sixers.
However, their chances of playoff success are still possible. While ESPN are effectively disrespecting Philly by giving them only a 17.6% chance of making the Conference Finals and 6.0% of reaching the NBA Finals, other outlets are optimistic on their chances.
FiveThirtyEight rate the Eastern Conference side’s chances of reaching the NBA Finals at 14%, while Basketball Reference are sitting at 13.5% for the same outcome.
The 76ers have been haunted by a second-round curse in the NBA playoffs for 22 years, as they have progress past the Conference semi-finals since they last reached the NBA Finals back in 2001.
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While there is the likelihood that Philly will have to face both the Bucks and the Celtics to get to the NBA Finals, they also have to take both of these in the regular season twice more as well as facing Denver, Cleveland and Memphis.
If they come out of those games on top, Joel Embiid and co. could be in prime shape for the postseason, and their chances of winning the Eastern Conference will surely rise.
Philly’s price of +650 to reach the NBA Finals looks quite appealing, and they could well shock a few people in the process.
