Power Rankings: Eastern Conference Playoffs Edition

#3 Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers are an intriguing blend of veterans and promising youngsters

The Process has neared completion, so to speak, for the Philadelphia 76ers. After 4 seasons of torrid play, the 76ers find themselves in the 3rd spot with just 2 games left to play, and they might just nab it provided they take their ongoing 14-game winning streak to 16 against the Bucks in their final match of the season.

The Sixers were inconsistent through 2017, falling as low as the 12th spot in the Eastern Conference at one point in November. As their schedule became less packed and the back-to-back sets stopped coming thick and fast, Embiid was able to feature in every game. They've put together a 32-11 record in 2018 that ranks 1st in the Eastern Conference this calendar year, and 2nd in the entire league behind only the Rockets.

Joel Embiid is their best player on both ends of the floor and he got a deserved starting berth in the All-Star game, but the 76ers' 5-0 record without the 7'2" Cameroonian center of late has shown their strength in depth.

Ben Simmons is averaging a triple-double over the last 15 games, while JJ Reddick is having the best season of his career at 33 years of age. Dario Saric and Robert Covington round off possibly the best starting five in the Eastern Conference - both are two-way players who have been the model of consistency this season.

Their bench, which was one of the worst in the league at the start of the season, has been galvanized by some shrewd free agent signings by Bryan Colangelo and the recent return of the #1 pick, Markelle Fultz. The incoming Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova have bolstered their depth chart, while underperforming players like Jerryd Bayless, Justin Anderson and Amir Johnson have been competing for minutes with the likes of Richaun Holmes and TJ McConnell.

Expect the 76ers to make the Conference Finals if they win against the Milwaukee Bucks in their last game of the season and seal the 3rd spot in the standings, as they are well-equipped to deal with the likes of the Heat, Bucks, and Wizards.