Joel Embiid Says Warriors 'Will Be Ready to Go 7 Games' with 76ers in Finals

The Philadelphia 76ers have shown improvement this season at 13-13, but big man Joel Embiid believes they are due for a significant leap as the campaign progresses.

"[The Warriors] will be ready to go seven games with the Sixers in June," he said in a profile from Ramona Shelburne of ESPN The Magazine released Tuesday.

Reaching the NBA Finals and battling the defending champions for a full seven games would be quite the turnaround for a 76ers team that hasn't enjoyed a winning season since 2004-05, but Embiid was optimistic about the squad's potential.

There is plenty of reason for optimism when it comes to Philadelphia, considering Embiid, 23, and Ben Simmons, 21, both look like All-Stars for years to come. Dario Saric, 23, and Robert Covington, 26, are also young building blocks, and the team still has Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 pick of the 2017 draft, waiting in the wings.

Health has been the primary concern for the 76ers, as Embiid missed the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons and played just 31 games in 2016-17. Simmons missed all of last season, and Fultz has played just four games this year because of shoulder issues.

The Warriors beat the 76ers in both matchups this season already, but Philadelphia trailed by just one at halftime in the first and held a 22-point halftime lead in the second before collapsing in the third quarter. Philadelphia flashed moments of greatness against the NBA's current measuring stick, which only served to fan the flames of the optimism surrounding the franchise.

Still, the 76ers have to reach the postseason in order to play the Warriors in the Finals.

They are tied with the New York Knicks and Miami Heat for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture now and are currently mired in a four-game losing streak. They will look to snap out of their slump Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.