Philadelphia 76ers: NBA Schedule-Makers' Strange Experiment

Seriously, what is up with the Sixers' schedule? I understand that things that normally take a lot of time and thought (i.e. schedule-making) had to be adjusted on the fly due to the shortened season and conditions surrounding it.

However, the Sixers' schedule is really, really weird.

After playing their first five games on the road and not entering the friendly, cheesesteak-filled confines of the Wells Fargo Center until the Mayan Year of Doom and Destruction (2012), the Sixers can't leave the place. It seems like every time I tune in to Marc Zumoff and Malik Rose (who I actually think is a nice compliment to MZ), the 76ers are the home team.

That's because the Sixers are currently in a stretch of their schedule which has them playing 18 of 22 games at home. That's absurd. I mean, when is Andre Iguodala going to be able get his mom some souvenirs from the Alamo? Isn't Sweet Lou Williams getting a little antsy, just itching to take the yearly road trip to Milwaukee? 

The Sixers have also been blessed with an incredibly easy start to their season. For instance, they've already played the Detroit Pistons twice, and the 4-16 Washington Wizards three times!  

Still, you can only play the teams that are on your schedule. It's a bit unfair to hold the Sixers' strength of schedule against them and their status as "contenders." Especially considering the way they've just been blowing out their competition; good teams beat the teams they are supposed to, great teams slaughter them.

But the back end of the Sixers' schedule is troubling. They play a ton of games on the road, and a ton against good teams. Like a bear preparing for hibernation, the Sixers really need to stock up on these early wins before they face their schedules' brutal finish.

Wins now count just as much in the standings as wins in March, and are clearly building the confidence of Evan Turner, Jrue Holiday, Thad Young and this entire young 76ers team.  

How the Sixers finish their strange schedule will go a long way in showing whether or not this team is a legit force in the Eastern Conference for years to come.