As the Sixers return to the playoffs, has a year changed things for Brett Brown, Ben Simmons and the rest of the team?

How much difference does a year make?

Heading into the 2018 NBA playoffs, there was a palpable energy in Philadelphia. The Eagles were fresh off a Super Bowl victory, the 76ers had won 52 games and spent the latter part of the season destroying competition. The Sixers were the darlings of the NBA, but their inexperience did raise concerns.

We all know how things ended: a 4-1 series win against Miami and a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Celtics in the second round.

Let’s take a look at how things have changed and what the narrative was surrounding the Sixers, then and now.

The Sixers went into the 2018 playoffs on a 16-game win streak and as David Murphy wrote, the Sixers were becoming a feared playoff opponent, resting their starters for fourth quarters as the season came to an end. Analysts and pundits around the country were saying the Sixers had a chance to win the East. They were going into their first postseason in years and had momentum on their side. As columnist Marcus Hayes wrote, “they’re coming down the stretch with a purpose.”

This time around, there is no momentum and there weren’t many games down the stretch that showed any purpose. The Sixers instead are headed into the playoffs having lost six of their last 10 games, including two to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Sixers started this season with the declaration that the NBA Finals was what they were shooting for. With the way they're playing right now, that looks like a far cry from what is possible.

Last season, Embiid watched the Sixers finish strong from the sidelines, then he was ruled out for the beginning of the postseason as he recovered from a concussion and orbital bone fracture. While there has not been any broken bones or surgery, Embiid’s health is once again a question heading into Game 1 against the Brooklyn Nets. Last season the Sixers were not too worried about having Embiid for the first round. They were riding that win-streak high. This time, as columnist Mike Sielski recently made clear, not having Embiid around is a major concern if the Sixers want even a chance at a deep run.

It seems a little surreal that last year at this time there was panic and promise after Markelle Fultz returned (take that word with a grain of salt) from his mysterious injury to the Sixers’ lineup for the last 10 games of the season. Would he be part of the playoff rotation? Was he exactly what the Sixers needed?

Now, once again, a Sixers rookie has returned to the lineup after a strange illness, and could possibly be in the playoff rotation and exactly what the Sixers need. This time it’s Zhaire Smith. And the Sixers’ wing rotation is still a huge question mark as the playoffs are upon us.

Last season, Fultz ended up being a non-factor and non-contributor in the playoffs. It’s yet to be seen what Smith will be for the Sixers this year.

There were constantly stats flying around last season about the Sixers having the best starting unit in the league. The offense was flowing, the defense was nearing elite, and everything looked great for the Sixers’ top five. Dwyane Wade even said the Sixers were the future of the NBA.

This year, not so much. Chemistry is one of the things the Sixers are massively lacking as they ready for the playoffs. The starting unit has been in constant flux because of injuries, illness and rest. Since the Tobias Harris acquisition, the Sixers starting lineup has played just 10 games together. Brett Brown is hoping that talent will be more important than chemistry this time around. But even if talent can help the Sixers in the opening series against the Nets, columnist Bob Ford writes that expectations need to be scaled back for this team.

In his rookie of the year campaign Simmons exceeded expectations, and rarely looked like a rookie on the court. His defense was better than anyone expected and on the offensive end, more often than not, he imposed his will. It was the kind of growth that had Marcus Hayes calling for Brett Brown to win coach of the year for his role in developing the young phenom. Brown noted that there didn’t seem to be a rookie wall, that continued growth was inevitable.

The wall eventually showed up in the form of the Boston Celtics. In the 2018-19 season and heading into the 2019 playoffs there hasn’t been much growth from Simmons. He still doesn’t have an outside shot, he still struggles at the free throw line, and there are matchups that completely shut Simmons down.