NBA Power Rankings: The league's new landscape

NBA post-free agency power rankings

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers attends a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 17: Richaun Holmes #22, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot #20, Justin Anderson #23, and Robert Covington #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrate in the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the Wells Fargo Center on March 17, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Mavericks 116-74. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

6. Philadelphia 76ers

With their sights set on the biggest fish in the free agent sea, Philadelphia missed out. It’s a testament to the talent they already have in place that they will still be able to compete at a high level.

Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid were both All-Star-caliber players last season, exploding into orbit with the league’s best teams. The 76ers won 52 games led by a rookie and a second-year player, and it’s not as if the rest of the rotation was made up of wizened old champions. Guys like Robert Covington, T.J. McConnell and Dario Saric played a ton of minutes despite being quite young themselves.

It was a ridiculous accomplishment for the young Sixers to do what they did last year and push the No. 1-seeded Celtics in the second round. The playoffs felt like a coronation for the East’s Next Great Team.

So it’s not a terrible decision for Philadelphia to run it back with nearly the same squad. 6. They retained J.J. Redick on a cheaper deal and used their remaining space to add Wilson Chandler and Nemanja Bjelica. Those two veterans are near-perfect replacements for last year’s buyout-market veterans, Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova. And Chandler and Bjelica are certainly more versatile defensively.

The Sixers have been mentioned as a potential Finals team next year, and while LeBron James’ departure clearly weakened the Eastern Conference, I’m not willing to go that far. Winning multiple playoff series’ may be too tall a task, even for a team with this much talent.

Yet it would be wise to bet against continued improvement from Simmons, Embiid, Saric and Markelle Fultz, none of whom is older than 24. To those who say the East will suck in 2019 — let them come to Philadelphia.

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