Three Takeaways From the Sixers’ Best Start in Seven Years

The Philadelphia 76ers couldn't have asked for a better start to their season.

In the last three games, they've had the perfect mix of drama, excitement, and success. For the first time since 2019, the Sixers have started their season 3-0. These wins have come over some serious contenders, and they've given spectators a lot to think about.

Three wins in, here are three key takeaways from the 76ers' fantastic start.

The Sacrifice Talk From Media Day Is Already Showing Up on the Court

Before this season began, the Sixers Media Day had one word at its core: sacrifice.

The team understood that talent alone doesn't win championships. To get everything to work, players had to understand their roles. In his media day segment, LeBron James defines what sacrifice is to him and what it should mean to the team.

"If we want to do something special, there will be a collective sacrificing in a good way," James said .

It sounded good for the team to all be on the same page, but it looks even better on the court.

In the clutch win against the defending champion New York Knicks, the Sixers were all in on each other. Each starter ended the game with ten or more shots. This showcased a healthy distribution of the ball and shot attempts. However, the real story is in the other statistics.

Each of the starters had a handful of rebounds, assists, and overall hustle plays. There were other intangibles that showed their willingness to play for each other. On top of that, each of them shared an important mutual understanding. When someone got hot, they all understood when the time was right for everyone else to clear out and let that guy get to his shot.

With some help off the bench from Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope , the Sixers were able to pull out a hard-fought team victory against the Knicks to open the season.

The Cavaliers Comeback Showed Both Versions of This Team

In the 29-point comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers, one thing became glaringly clear. When this team is in full sync with each other, they can run teams out of a game. However, anything less is detrimental.

Philadelphia committed 15 turnovers in the first half. They gave away nine in the first quarter alone. Although James had five of them on his own, a lot of the turnovers were miscommunications between him and his teammates. Jaylen Brown also contributed with his own three turnovers, and the Cavaliers took full advantage of each and every one.

The second half was completely different. Philadelphia cleaned things up, committing only two turnovers between two quarters. They also more than doubled their assists number. They turned seven into 17 assists as a team.

Outside of ball-handling errors, poor defensive execution kills the team as well. The 76ers play some of their best basketball when they're turning defense into offense. In the first half, Philadelphia was late on closeouts. They allowed eight offensive rebounds, and ultimately lacked defensive effort. Because of the lack of effort, they fell down into a 24-point deficit by halftime.

Yet again, things improved in the second half. The defensive intensity surged, and the Sixers had applied the most pressure that they had been all night. They kept the Cavaliers to only two offensive rebounds. Ultimately, they outrebounded them 23-20. They also came away with seven steals to the Cavaliers' single steal.

Ultimately, the Sixers benefitted from stringing together stops and turning them directly into offense. By cleaning up their execution, the Sixers were able to climb a 29-point deficit and turn it into a victory.

The Center Depth Behind Embiid Could Be a Fatal Flaw

The third game, against Milwaukee, raised a question Sixers fans can't ignore.

In today's NBA, the deepest team wins the championship. Teams like the Spurs, Thunder, and Knicks have bench units that can compete with opposing starters. The 76ers' starting five is just as good as any. However, how do they fare when those five guys aren't always on the court at the same time?

It's clear to see that the front office needs to find a suitable center to play behind Joel Embiid . Ariel Hukporti is out for the season , and Dominique Barlow will be missing more time with his lower back injury. This leaves Dean Wade , Jabari Walker , and Adem Bona , who is playing through a foot sprain, left for the center rotations. Wade and Walker sit at 6-foot-9 and 6-foot-7.

This forces the Sixers to run small-ball lineups every time Embiid sits. Although they came away with the win against the Bucks, the Sixers were outrebounded 62-40 . Against a better team, that gap becomes a much bigger problem. The small-ball lineups won't work against every team. They just haven't faced one that can capitalize yet.

Wins are to be celebrated of course, but such a glaring issue demands a bigger question. Philadelphia might have enough to help them survive one or two games, but the question of if this playstyle will be sustainable come post-season is valid. On top of that, whether or not they can contribute to winning basketball come May-June is completely up to rotations at the center position.

A well-put-together starting five can sometimes get NBA fans across the world to jump in excitement about their teams prematurely. If the Sixers can take all the positives from their (now) 3-1 start and incorporate more executional habits, as well as explore some rotational depth at the center position, Sixers fans would be right to start thinking about a parade down Broad Street.