After a busy offseason, the The Philadelphia 76ers have managed to build a roster that is both powerful and deep. Despite the array of talent they have managed to attract, some analysts have overlooked them when analyzing some of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Fresh off their NBA championship run last season, the Boston Celtics are in a good position to be champions again. Despite being a year older, they have retained their starting five, one of the best units in all of basketball.
Before the start of the 2025 season, a panel of analysts on NBA TV He talked about the teams that would dethrone the Celtics. Several teams were mentioned, but the Sixers weren’t mentioned either. Dennis Scott kicked things off by sharing his thoughts. He chose the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks.
“I think the Knicks are going to come out and make some noise,” Scott said. “If Giannis is healthy, I’m putting Milwaukee back in the mix.”
Next up was former NBA head coach Sam Mitchell. He picked a team that doesn’t get as much press as teams like the Knicks and Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I’m going to go off the rails a little bit, I’m going to talk about Cleveland,” Mitchell said. “They’ve done a good job of re-signing players, signing Donovan Mitchell … They’ve got the group back together. My only question for Cleveland is how this Donovan Mitchell/Darius Garland back line is going to work.”
THE Philadelphia 76ers on SI The show is available on streaming platforms Spotify, Apple and Amazon.
All of the teams mentioned have plenty of talent, but the Sixers should be considered at or above their level. For starters, Philly might have the most stars in the East outside of the Celtics. The Knicks have depth, but Jalen Brunson is considered their only star. Milwaukee has Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, but their aging core leaves doubts about their ability to survive a long playoff run.
Although this will be this team’s first season together, they belong in the mix of teams capable of competing with the defending champions.
