Charles Barkley Says 76ers Will 'Definitely' Make Playoffs This Season

Former Philadelphia 76ers star Charles Barkley is confident the Sixers are going to qualify for the playoffs next year,which would mark their first postseason appearance since the 2011-12 season.Matt Haughton of CSN Philly relayed comments the 11-time NBA All-Star made to the outlet's Danny Pommells about how surprised he'd be if the 76ers fall short of the postseason."If [Joel] Embiid is healthy and [Ben] Simmons is healthy, I think they're definitely gonna make the playoffs," he said. "Obviously the injury thing has really hurt them the last couple years. But if those two guys are healthy, I think both of them are terrific players. Now you've got [Markelle] Fultz, you've got JJ [Redick]. They've done some good things with the guys coming off the bench. [Dario] Saric was fantastic last year. If they don't make the playoffs, I'd be totally shocked."While the Sixers' roster is overflowing with young talent, getting the pieces to fit together could take time.The team's injury woes over the past few seasons has limited how much time its top prospects have spent on the floor together. It's ambitious to expect Fultz, this year's first overall pick, to get plugged into the lineup and have everything immediately click.Philadelphia will endure growing pains until its young players find their respective niches. Barkley, who currently serves as a basketball analyst for Turner Sports, noted the relationship between the last two No. 1 picks will be critical part of the equation."One or the other is probably going to have to defer a little bit because they both want the ball," he told CSN Philly about Simmons and Fultz. "They're both dominant guys with the ball. I think Coach [Brett] Brown is gonna have to really talk to them about that. That could be an interesting dynamic of their team because they're both ball-dominant guys and they both will probably have to sacrifice a little bit in that area."Brown understands pressure will increase this season given the amount of talent he's coaching and the desire to see progress, perBob Fordof thePhiladelphia Inquirer."We've all endured a lot in the four years," Brown said. "We're getting to the stage where we're looking forward to jumping into this in a real way."The oddsmakers agree with Barkley.According toOddsShark, the Sixers rank sixth in the early lines to win the Eastern Conference, which would put them safely inside the playoff cutoff.
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