The Philadelphia 76ers are amid their toughest 13-game stretch of the season, and arguably the toughest any NBA team will face.
However, thus far, they're 3-1 with a plus-92 point differential after blowout wins over the Timberwolves, at the Pacers, and Rockets.
Related: Brewer steals show in Sixers' win over Rockets
NBA on ESPN analyst Jalen Rose talked about how the Sixers are built more for the playoffs than the regular season after the team's impressive win over Houston on Monday night.
"They've started to garner some depth," Rose said of the Sixers. "You know about JJ Redick and his ability to knock down shots, but also (Landry) Shamet has been giving them quality minutes, (T.J.) McConnell has been giving them quality minutes. So once they get healthy and get Jimmy Butler back in the lineup—we know Ben Simmons is going to flirt with a triple double on a nightly basis. I think this team is built more for playoff success than regular season."
Philadelphia is 31-17, currently 4th in the East and 4.5 games back of the Toronto Raptors. To Rose's point, the Sixers are 29-10 when they have at least one day of rest and 2-6 off of a back-to-back, which does not happen in the NBA playoffs.
"When you look at their talent with three all-stars and then you look down at the eastern conference standings, there are a lot of teams ahead of them that they should be just as good, if not better than," said Rose. "So at this point they've been a disappointment, but they still have plenty of time to get it done."
Home-court advantage in the postseason will, arguably, be more important for the Sixers than any other NBA team. Philadelphia is 20-5 at home (and even better when at full strength). Only Milwaukee, Toronto, and Denver have better home records. Conversly, the Sixers are just 11-12 on the road.
"They're in the mix, but they've got to at least finish amongst the top four," Rose said. "If they don't do that, they're definitely not winning the East."
I would take that a step further and say, the Sixers need to finish as a top-two seed if they want to maximize their chances at reaching the NBA Finals this season. Home-court advantage in the second round against, say, Milwaukee or Boston, will be huge for Philadelphia and would make that matchup much more manageable. But having to win back-to-back road series' in the East semi-finals and conference finals against two of Milwaukee, Boston, or Toronto will be an extremely tall task.
