Even after an embarrassing playoff exit this past postseason, ESPN still thinks highly of the Philadelphia 76ers. I wonder if that has anything to do with Ben Simmons still on the 76ers roster? SportsCenter recently released their power rankings following NBA free agency and the 2021 NBA Draft, and the Sixers were among the league’s best, which is surprising, since ESPN never has anything positive to say about Philadelphia and the 76ers in general.

ESPN loves to talk about Ben Simmons and how “The Process” was a failure yet still gives them a little credit when it’s time to release their official rankings. Imagine.

Regardless, the 76ers are no longer the best team in the East, but their 6th place ranking is still excellent. Ahead of them are the Nets, Bucks, Lakers, Suns, and the Jazz. Rounding out the top ten are the Nuggets, Heat, Hawks, and the Clippers. ESPN didn’t explain why the 76ers were placed so highly but instead talked about trading Ben Simmons.

6th in the NBA after all the massive changes across the league while dealing with the whole Simmons fiasco is impressive. After the elimination to the Hawks, the Sixers have been getting respect across the basketball world, with Joel Embiid being the second-best rating in NBA 2K21. 

Philly made no significant changes this offseason, signing Andre Drummond and Georges Niang to replace Dwight Howard and Mike Scott. Daryl Morey was also able to lock up Danny Green and Furkan Korkmaz on long-term deals as well. Training camp is just around the corner, with players reporting on September 28th.

Mandatory Credit: Matt Slocum AP