76ers are No. 1 in new NBA Power Rankings
[...Started from the bottom now we're here. Started from the bottom now the whole team here...]
After starting the year in dead last, the Sixers have climbed to the top of a few NBA Power Rankings after just three games.
[...You're the best! Around! Nothing's gonna ever keep you down...]
From Marc J. Spears over at Yahoo! Sports:
"1. Philadelphia 76ers (3-0; last week's ranking: 30): After entering the season with what was considered the league's weakest roster, the Sixers and rookie Michael Carter-Williams beat reigning champion Miami, Washington (on the road) and Chicago. Reality could hit soon, but, for now, the Sixers can enjoy the top spot."
The 76ers have also climbed to the top of Matt Moore's rankings at CBSSports.com, leapfrogging every team in the league.
Moore writes:
"The Philadelphia 76ers being No. 1 is no joke. They beat the defending champion Miami Heat, the much-ballyhooed (who could use a little less bally and a little more hooed) Bulls and a Wizards team that was supposed to be pretty good. They've done it with high-level execution, great energy and surprising contributions from young players.
They have the best résumé at 3-0."
It started out as a joke for John Schuhmann of NBA.com, but now it is a reality. The 76ers jumped up 28 spots on his list, all the way to No. 1:
"As crazy as this seems, maybe it's just the model for when you change your ratio of mid-range attempts to 3-point attempts from 1.7 (last season) to 0.8 (this year). Brett Brown is letting his team push the ball and shoot early in the clock. But ultimately, they're taking the right kinds of shots, getting to the basket a lot more than they did under Doug Collins too. And they're shooting pretty well at the basket."
ESPN's Marc Stein is not quite ready to fully commit to the bangwagon. Still, Stein bumped up Michael Carter-Williams and Co. from 30th to 10th on his list:
"The madness continues when the Warriors visit on Monday. Philly will be going for its first 4-0 start since the Allen Iverson-led team that made the Finals went 10-0 in 2000-01 and the MCW/Steph matchup brings together two of only five players averaging at least 20 points and nine dimes."
The team's 3-0 start equals their best since the 2006-07 season. If they beat the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, it will be their best start since 2000-01 when they rattled off 10 straight wins to begin the season.
[...Keep on movin'. Keep climbin'. Keep the faith baby. It's all about, it's all about the climb...]