NBA Power Rankings: Cavaliers are right where they want to be

Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with guard Kyrie Irving (2) in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 115-101. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

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Oct 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) punches the back post in reaction to his foul against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Oklahoma City Thunder won 103-97. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

29. team. 93. A blowout loss against the Utah Jazz dropped the Philadelphia 76ers to their sixth loss in as many games. The big difference for this year’s team is that they are actually being competitive in some–not this one–of these games. They have stockpiled their young talent over the years and now they are starting to see the seeds that Sam Hinkie sowed grow into potential All-Stars and All-NBA caliber players Everything with the Philadelphia 76ers this season begins and ends with Joel “The Process” Embiid. Embiid has seen his minutes restriction rise from 20 minutes a night to 24 and now word has come out that it will be set at 24 until he is reevaluated at Christmas. In his first taste of basketball action in three seasons, Embiid has been everything that Sam Hinkie tanked for and more. The Sixers finally have a light at the end of the tunnel and all those years of forced losing and ping pong balls is looking like it was worth it. Embiid isn’t the only player that was obtained by Hinkie through his bottoming out techniques. Philadelphia also brought in Nerlens Noel (injured), Dario Saric, Jahlil Okafor, and Ben Simmons (injured). Saric and Okafor have both been up and down in their play, but the potential still shows for those two. Okafor is likely to be the odd man out as his defensive ineptitude makes it hard for him to play extended minutes. Saric is a consistent jump shot away from being a deadly versatile weapon in this league. Things are looking up in the City of Brotherly Love and I for one suggest that when Embiid and Simmons bring home a championship in 2023 that Hinkie gets the same type of empathy that the nation showered the reclusive Steve Bartman in when the Chicago Cubs finally brought home a World Series title this year.. . . Philadelphia 76ers

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