76ers move up a spot in latest ESPN NBA Power Rankings

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference Standings with a 20-13 record.
They have won eight out of their last 10 games and if it wasn’t for a shaky final two minutes against the Wizards on Tuesday, they would be riding a nine game winning-streak into New Orleans tomorrow night. Still, Joel Embiid and James Harden are playing tremendous basketball together and the Sixers will get Tyrese Maxey back against the Pelicans.Â
According to ESPN’s Power Rankings, the Sixers continue to steadily move on up, coming in at No. 8 this week, a spot better than last week at No. 9.
76ers Rank No. 8 in latest ESPN Power Rankings
Philadelphia saw its eight-game winning streak snapped in Washington on Tuesday, but the 76ers still received another dominant performance from Joel Embiid. He not only led the 76ers in scoring for a 13th straight game but tallied 48 points, upping his league-leading average to 33.7 points per game.
Trust me, I don’t give much thought to Power Rankings. They are completely useless, much like playoff seeding. However, after a slow start to the 2022-23 NBA season, the 76ers are most definitely trending upwards and Joel Embiid is somehow playing better basketball than he did last season. James Harden looks more like the Harden of old and this team hasn’t even been able to work Tyrese Maxey into the mold since he’s been out since mid-November with a foot fracture.
New Orleans tomorrow night, then Oklahoma City on New Year’s Eve to close out 2022.