Why 76ers Will Make a Deep Run in 2021 NBA Playoffs

The Philadelphia 76ers could be on the verge of something special.

That's assuming, of course, that what they've already done doesn't qualify as special on its own.

As it stands, the Sixers are poised to post their highest winning percentage since they followed Allen Iverson's lead to the 2001 NBA Finals (.656). By Basketball Reference's Simple Rating System, which factors in strength of schedule and scoring differential, this is Philly's ninth-best season in franchise history and highest rated since 1982-83.

A bunch of factors go into that success. Joel Embiid's rise to full-fledged MVP candidate tops the list, but there's also Tobias Harris' career year, Ben Simmons' ongoing defensive brilliance and the tangible impacts of new coach Doc Rivers and new decision-maker Daryl Morey.

We're buying big on Philly's chances to engineer a deep playoff run, and these are the reasons why.

Joel Embiid Is Unstoppable

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Embiid is an impossibility. It's like if you transported Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon to the modern era but outfitted him with a bunch of contemporary enhancements first.

"Joel Embiid is so gifted," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "It's really incredible. It's like watching one of the great centers from the '80s or '90s, only with the added dimension of the skill set of the modern-day player, with the one-legged shots and the fadeaways and the Euros and all the stuff that the modern player has worked on."

Embiid has long been a matchup nightmare, but this season he has completed his metamorphosis to unstoppable object.

His stat line features one career-best after another, including his 29.8 points per game and each layer of his 51.4/37.6/85.0 shooting slash. There isn't a playoff opponent built to slow him down, and when opponents throw too much attention his way, he can pick them apart with his passing.

Defense Is Championship-Level

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The Sixers should be well represented on the All-Defensive rosters. They'll have two chances to capture the Defensive Player of the Year award, too.

Collectively, Philly is about as stingy as it gets. The Sixers sit second in defensive efficiency. They rank third in opponents' field-goal percentage and third in opponents' turnover percentage. They've held 13 opponents under 100 points—a big number in today's scoring-happy league—and won all 13 of those games.

Individually, the Sixers might shine even brighter. Embiid's paint protection should have him in the DPOY running. Simmons should be in the same discussion as one of the game's only five-position stoppers. Matisse Thybulle is a lockdown defender on the ball and a shot-blocking, pass-intercepting menace off of it. Danny Green pairs impressive length with all the know-how of a three-time champion.

This defense is more than ready for whatever the postseason plans to throw in its path.

Roster Is Positioned for Success

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Much like Steve Kerr in Golden State, Rivers is starting to look like the finishing piece in Philadelphia.

The veteran skipper has done a masterful job of assembling the puzzle pieces into one cohesive picture. It's a sight to behold for a franchise that had collected talent for years but previously had trouble getting the best out of it.

"They got a couple of nice pieces to build a future title contender with Joel and Ben, but they needed a closer at the top," a Western Conference executive told B/R's A. Sherrod Blakely. "That's why Doc is there."

Now, Embiid is taking off, Harris is dazzling, Simmons is playing his game and the shooters are letting everyone breathe. The Sixers have an identity at both ends of the court, and before Rivers' arrival, it was unclear if that was even possible with Embiid and Simmons together on the roster.

Rivers, who has won an NBA championship and a Coach of the Year award, could be the one who finally gets the Sixers over the hump.

Statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.