Sixers can go either way: A deep run or a first-round exit from the NBA playoffs

The Sixers have plenty of star power. And they may not be done building. But it's too soon to tell what kind of run they'll make.

Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers could go on a deep playoff run. They also could bow out in the first round. It's too early to tell which it'll be.Read moreHeather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

by Keith Pompey

Published Feb. 12, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET

NEW YORK — The 76ers still are a dangerous team.

If everything comes together by building momentum going into the playoffs and everyone is on board and healthy, they’re a dangerous team. But it can go the other way, too. They also could lose in the first round.

The Sixers are a lot like the Los Angeles Lakers in that they’re a team that you don’t want to face in the playoffs. They’re dangerous.

James Harden still is a good player. The 10-time All-Star is not what he used to be, but he’s still a good player. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid is a terrific player. It will be interesting to see how Embiid performs in the playoffs. The six-time All-Star center has never been fully healthy in postseasons past.

Tyrese Maxey got back to his normal explosive self on Friday night, finishing with 27 points and three steals in a 119-108 victory over the New York Knicks. The Sixers need to get Tobias Harris more involved so he can have an impact on the game.

Recently, Harris has only been impactful when he’s making shots.

If the power forward gets back to contributing in other ways, Embiid stays healthy, Harden’s continues to facilitate, and Maxey keeps the right mindset, the Sixers can win in the playoffs. If not, they’re going to lose … early.

The Sixers improved to 36-19 after Saturday night’s 101-98 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. They are in third place in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers are 3 ½ games behind the first-place Boston Celtics and 2 ½ behind the second-place Milwaukee Bucks. The fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers are a game back at 37-22.

The Celtics (40-16) have been more consistent. The Bucks (39-17) have, too, for the most part. But this postseason should be great because there’s not a team that is head and shoulders above the others.

The Sixers did lose,106-99, to what essentially was All-Star Jayson Tatum and the Celtics’ B team on Wednesday. Tatum and All-Star Jaylen Brown were the only regular Boston starters to play in the game. Brown was unable to finish after suffering a facial fracture.

The Sixers had a poor showing in what was their third loss in five games. A lack of focus by a team that already lacks a killer instinct could have contributed to the outcome.

One has to figure they’ll be locked-in once the postseason begins. People shouldn’t be overly concerned about that one game.

It will be interesting to see how coach Doc Rivers integrates Jalen McDaniels into the team after he was acquired Thursday in a trade from the Charlotte Hornets. How much playing time the 6-foot-9 small forward gets and how he blends into his new team will also be a factor.

The fourth-year player was a role player in Charlotte. We’ll see if McDaniels will be in the playoff rotation, unlike Matisse Thybulle, for whom he was traded. While the Sixers boast about McDaniels’ three-and-D qualities, it’s hard to say at this point how much he’ll help. It’s always hard to predict how a player will perform on a new team.

But McDaniels had a solid beginning Saturday, finishing with five points, four rebounds, and one assist in 15 minutes, 40 seconds. He was on the floor late for defensive possessions.

The level of expectations are much higher now that he’s no longer playing for a team that was tied for last place in the conference. His new teammates also are better than his teammates in Charlotte (15-42). All that could lead to his numbers dropping. With the Hornets, he was posting career highs in points (10.6), steals (1.2), and minutes (26.7) this season. It’s going to be hard to duplicate that on a team with championship aspirations.

McDaniels’ acquisition was a solid move in regards to what it was supposed to be: Get the Sixers below the luxury tax level and replacing Thybulle with a more well-rounded player. Yet, it didn’t garner the same headlines as the Bucks’ acquisition of Jae Crowder or Boston adding Mike Muscala before the deadline.

But it’s hard to rank deadline moves until the buyout market concludes. The Sixers are in the market for a backup center. They also have enough money under the luxury-tax threshold to add a second player in the buyout market.

In regards to acquiring a backup center, Dewayne Dedmon would be a great fit for the Sixers. Having played three seasons with the Miami Heat, he knows about a winning culture and what it take to go deep in the playoffs.

Point guard Patrick Beverley, who’s working through a contract buyout with the Orlando Magic, would be another solid addition. He would bring more toughness while helping out in the killer-instinct category. Beverley also played for Rivers (Los Angeles Clippers) and was a former teammate of Harden (Rockets), Harris (Clippers), P.J. Tucker (Heat), and Montrezl Harrell (Rockets and Clippers).

Players who have been bought out have the ability to change the dynamic of teams. Those players, however, have to sign by March 1 to be eligible for the playoffs.

We’ll also get a more clear idea of how the Sixers are trending post All-Star break, when players become more locked-in.

That’s when you get a really good idea of which teams are for real and which teams will struggle. We’ll learn just how dangerous the Sixers can be.

Are they capable of deep postseason run? Or are they bound for a first-round exit?