NBA

Should Joel Embiid slow his roll, or can Sixers really make the playoffs?

Should Joel Embiid slow his roll, or can Sixers really make the playoffs?
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It seems like every time Joel Embiid is near a microphone he is saying that the Sixers are “trying to make the playoffs.” And, as any NBA team should, wining enough games to make the postseason should be the goal. But unlike most NBA fans, pundits and experts, the rookie insists the team thinks it is a real possibility.

He echoed that after the team’s dramatic 98-97 buzzer-beating victory against the Knicks Wednesday, a win which moved them to 11-25 on the season. How can a team with a record like that make the playoffs? Any conservative estimate would require them to get to about 38-44, pass five teams in the standings and make up an eight game deficit in the win column.

According to the statistics website fivethrirtyeight.com, the Sixers have less than a 1 percent chance of making the playoffs and are projected to finish the year at 25-57. This is a vast improvement over last year’s 19-72 mark but nowhere near playoff contention.

Below is a look at the Sixers’ remaining 46 games. Assuming the best case scenario — that Embiid plays more and more minutes per game and Ben Simmons makes his debut and becomes a big contributor — we’ll spot the team any game they are favored to win by at least 35 points (according to fivethirtyeight.com). Even in that particular optimistic case, we were only able to find 18 more wins for the Sixers the rest of the way, getting them to 29 total.

Making a run at a playoff spot is an extremely unlikely scenario with the following schedule:

Friday, Jan. 13 vs. Charlotte (40 percent chance of winning)

Saturday, Jan. 14 at Washington (17 percent)

Monday, Jan. 16 at Milwaukee (22 percent)

Wednesday, Jan. 18 vs. Toronto (19 percent)

Friday, Jan. 20 vs. Portland (39 percent)

Saturday, Jan. 21 at Atlanta (19 percent)

Tuesday, Jan. 24 vs. L.A. Clippers (36 percent)

Wednesday, Jan. 25 at Milwaukee (14 percent)

Friday, Jan. 27 vs. Houston (21 percent)

Sunday, Jan. 29 at Chicago (21 percent)

Monday, Jan. 30 vs. Sacramento (43 percent)

Wednesday, Feb. 1 at Dallas (30 percent)

Thursday, Feb. 2 at San Antonio (5 percent)

Saturday, Feb. 4 at Miami (35 percent)

Monday, Feb. 6 at Detroit (23 percent)

Wednesday, Feb. 8 vs. San Antonio (18 percent)

Thursday, Feb. 9 at Orlando (25 percent)

Saturday, Feb. 11 vs. Miami (67 percent)

Monday, Feb. 13 at Charlotte (17 percent)

Wednesday, Feb. 15 at Boston (13 percent)

Friday, Feb. 24 vs. Washington (44 percent)

Saturday, Feb. 25 at Knicks (24 percent)

Monday, Feb. 27 vs. Golden State (13 percent)

Wednesday, March 1 at Miami (36 percent)

Friday, March 3 vs. N.Y. Knicks (54 percent)

Saturday, March 4 vs. Detroit (42 percent)

Monday, March 6 vs. Milwaukee (40 percent)

Thursday, March 9 at Portland (17 percent)

Saturday, Marcg 11 at L.A. Clippers (13 percent)

Sunday, March 12 at L.A. Lakers (26 percent)

Tuesday, March 14 at Golden State (5 percent)

Friday, March 17 vs. Dallas (55 percent)

Sunday, March 19 vs. Boston (30 percent)

Monday, March 20 at Orlando (26 percent)

Wednesday, March 22 at Oklahoma City (12 percent)

Friday, March 24 at Chicago (21 percent)

Sunday, March 26 at Indiana (20 percent)

Tuesday, March 28 at Brooklyn (49 percent)

Wednesday, March 29 vs. Atlanta (42 percent)

Friday, March 31 at Cleveland (13 percent)

Sunday, April 2 at Toronto (10 percent)

Tuesday, April 4 vs. Brooklyn (74 percent)

Thursday, April 6 vs. Chicago (45 percent)

Saturday, April 8 vs. Milwaukee (40 percent)

Monday, April 10 vs. Indiana (43 percent)

Wednesday, April 12 at N.Y. Knicks (29 percent)