How Far Do The Sixers Need To Go To Have A Successful Season?

After a relatively quiet couple of weeks, the Sixers have locked up the number one seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2001. A year after their depressing ending in the NBA Bubble playoffs that saw the end of the Brett Brown Era, Daryl Morey and Doc Rivers have helped made Philly basketball fun again. Their star players Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are finally reaching their full potential and have a fine supporting cast around them.

So why hasn’t the Sixers road to the playoffs received as much fanfare in years past? Partially because the country is still slowly recovering from the pandemic and arenas can’t get full capacity yet, but also because the Sixers path to the Finals isn’t very clear despite having the Top Seed.

The Sixers having the 1-seed has been a formality for awhile, but in order to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in two decades they will likely have to go through the NBA’s newest Superteam: The Brooklyn Nets. Their path to the Eastern Conference Finals looks relatively easy. They will play either the Celtics, Wizards, Hornets or Pacers in the first round which should be a gentlemen sweep at worst (even for this year’s version of the notoriously pesky Celtics.) And with a first-round win they will play either the Hawks or the Knicks in the second round, the most likely outcome of either of those series being Sixers winning.

But then finally there’s the Eastern Conference Finals and if they make their opponents will be either the Nets, Bucks or Heat. All three are going to be formidable foes, especially their most likely opponent in Brooklyn.

Thus begs the question: How deep in the playoffs do the Sixers need to go to call this 2021 season a success?

On the one hand just being in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in two decades is an accomplishment in itself. They can finally exercise the demons of Kawhi Leonard’s infamous shot two years ago by being in the third round of the playoffs. But if they lose to the Nets in just four or five games in the third round, Sixers fans won’t feel like this season wasn’t much to be proud of.

With homecourt advantage and yielding their best team since 2001 and maybe even 1983, the Sixers at worst should go down the wire with Brooklyn’s Big 3 in what could be a 7 game epic. Hopefully injuries to either side won’t alter the outcome of a highly anticipated Conference Finals.

Of course we also have to remind the Sixers that they have earn their trip to the Conference Finals. They haven’t played an intense basketball game in awhile and need to shake off their rust and refocus once the postseason begins. Because getting swept in the Conference Finals is still better than losing in the 1st or 2nd round.

And then there’s the possibility of the Sixers winning the East and finally returning to the NBA Finals. While being in the Finals itself will be a huge accomplishment, everyone would love for them to cash-in and capitalize on what could be their best shot for a championship in this era of Sixers basketball. The Eagles certainly did when got their one shot in 2017, and the Iverson-Era Sixers never got another chance at the Finals after their magical 2001 season.

So all in all, the Sixers need a deep playoff for immediate success while also showing that they will continue to be title contenders for the next few years.