NBA 2017-18: 5 Most Improved Teams

1. Philadelphia 76ers- 24 Games (28-54 to 52-30)

Philadelphia 76ers

What a difference a year can make. In the 2016-17 season, the Sixers spent most of their time contemplating draft picks, the health of Joel Embiid and whether their much loved “Process” would ever come to fruition. By the end of the 2017-18 regular season, a magical 14 game winning streak had fans dreaming of NBA titles and the possibility of LeBron James joining the Sixers.

This tremendous improvement can mostly be attributed to the quality (and health) of their two young superstars: Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Last season, Embiid flashed superstar potential while only playing 31 games the entire season. This season, Embiid was an all-star starter as he dominated on both ends of the floor.

The Cameroonian averaged 22.7 points and 11.0 rebounds on a rather efficient 48.3% field goal percentage. Yet, he was even better defensively where he had 1.8 blocks per game along with advanced defensive stats that matched the league’s best (like a defensive rating of 100). Simmons, on the other hand, missed what should have been his rookie campaign (2016-17) with a foot injury. In his actual rookie season, he showed the Sixers what they had missed the previous season. While completely refusing to shoot any three-pointers, Simmons dominated on both ends of the floor to such an extent that by the end of the season, he was being compared to Magic Johnson and LeBron James.

Yet, the Sixers managed to successfully complement the unique talents of Simmons and Embiid by surrounding them with shooters like JJ Redick, Robert Covington, and Marco Belinelli. These role players along with the unique qualities of Dario Saric helped transform the Sixers from a lottery team to a championship contender. Philadelphia’s famously rabid fans will be hoping for a similar improvement next season.