NBA Thanksgiving 2019: What each team has to be thankful for

Philadelphia 76ers

All that matters is the postseason

The Bucks sit atop the Eastern Conference as expected, but the team that was supposed to be right there with them — the Philadelphia 76ers — has gotten off to a slower start, posting an 11-6 record (fifth in the East) with a plus-4.6 point differential (sixth).

Joel Embiid has missed a handful of games already, and aside from one rapturous 3-point make, Ben Simmons still can’t spread the floor. Al Horford has been a terrific addition, but the Sixers’ all-length lineup hasn’t had enough time together to completely click yet.

The good news is, when Simmons, Embiid, Horford, Josh Richardson and Tobias Harris have shared the floor, the early returns were enticing. Eight games and 97 minutes is a small sample size, but during that span, that five-man lineup boasted a Net Rating of plus-18.2. If this team is healthy come playoff time, when players lock in and rotations shorten across the board, the Sixers can beat anyone — as they showed in their 27-point shellacking of Jimmy Butler’s Heat.