How the hiatus affects all 30 NBA teams

Philadelphia 76ers: Healing all wounds

“Time heals all wounds,” the old adage goes. For a Philadelphia 76ers team that’s been spiraling under the weight of injury problems, on-court chemistry issues and unfulfilled expectations, this hiatus could be a golden opportunity to take a step back, take a deep breath and collect itself before it’s eventually playoff time.

This team has big expectations, even with Al Horford proving to be a poor fit. When fully healthy and engaged, this Sixers team can compete with anybody. What it might come down to is Ben Simmons‘ back injury, and whether he’ll be fully healthy by the time the NBA’s summer break is over.

Joel Embiid had just returned to action in the game right before the league suspended its season, and with two games separating Philly from the 4-seed and home-court advantage — a much-needed boon for a team that’s 29-2 at home but a disastrous 10-24 on the road — it is paramount for this group to get healthy and jump from No. 6 in the East to No. 4.