After being ranked as a decent playoff contender last week, the Philadelphia 76ers have soared to the top of the NBA after a few huge wins. Currently, the 76ers hold a record of 8-2, the best in the East and second-best in the entire NBA. 

All of this has been accomplished while being shorthanded due to injuries and COVID-19. After a statement win over Chicago the other night, let’s take a look at where Philly stands right now before their game tonight against New York.

ESPN: 1st (Previously 8th)

“When Tobias Harris got yanked off the court minutes before tipoff Monday night due to the league’s health and safety protocols, an ugly week appeared to be in store for Philly. Instead, the 76ers ripped off four straight wins and have the East’s best record. It’s been an impressive stretch to begin the season for a team with plenty of chaos surrounding it.”

Hoops Habit: 1st (Previously 5th)

“The crazy part about it all is that Joel Embiid is only putting up around 20 points per game. Philadelphia is getting contributions from a ton of different places.

The spacing on the team is insane, too. They rank first in the entire NBA in three-point percentage so far this year (39.4 percent). The amount of shooting on this team is incredible.“

CBS: 2nd (Previously 17th)

“The Sixers have played inspiring basketball of late, rattling off four straight wins this week, including one without Joel Embiid and two without Tobias Harris. That’s partly thanks to Seth Curry, who averaged 18 points on 60/45/100 shooting splits for the week, and Georges Niang stepping up in Harris’ absence. Philadelphia has the second-best offensive rating in the league and the 10th-best defense during its 6-2 star”

Bleacher Report: 4th (Previously 11th)

Sporting News: 5th (Previously 14th)

“No player in NBA history – not even Seth’s older brother – has shot the ball better to begin a season. Curry is en fuego, drilling over 60 percent of his 2s and 50 percent of his 3s while pumping in a career-high 17.1 points per game. He’s perhaps the biggest reason why the 76ers have the NBA’s most efficient offense as Curry’s true shooting percentage of 76.1 was the best ever through nine games.”

The Athletic: 5th (Previously 11th)

“The Sixers have been moved up to the Brink of Contention tier on a probationary basis because they’re not allowing the Ben Simmons situation to distract on the court. In fact, their play so far has bought them time on a resolution.”

It’s great to see the Sixers get the respect they deserve after pulling in so many huge wins with the players they have available. After being ranked nearly in the 20s last week, nobody has Philadelphia below 5th. This week is a chance for the 76ers to solidify themselves as title contenders without Ben Simmons, facing the Knicks, Bucks, Jazz, and Nuggets over the next eight days.

Mandatory Credit: Associated Press