When Charles Barkley speaks, the world listens. The Philadelphia 76ers hit the ground running in 2025-26, and the franchise legend called them the best team in the Eastern Conference.
How did the Sixers validate him in the days following the bold statement on 97.5 The Fanatic?
Charles Barkley Sees the Best Team in the East
Barkley never backs down from sharing strong opinions. It was no surprise that he spoke proudly as a guest on 97.5 Fanatic All-Star Day about his former team after their hot start.
“The Round Mound of Rebound” called the Sixers the best team in the Eastern Conference.
“I could pull out the New York Knicks. I say the New York Knicks (could) be the best team in the Eastern Conference. I could pull out the Cleveland Cavaliers and say, ‘These guys could win the Eastern Conference.’ I could pull out the 76ers, and my first thing is if Embiid and Paul George are healthy, they’re the best team in the Eastern Conference. They are.”
The key qualifier to Barkley’s bold statement was a problem that Philadelphia is unquestionably familiar with. Injuries to star players sunk the 2024-25 Sixers, and they’re at the mercy of health concerns this season too.
“That’s a big if, but if Embiid can stay healthy and play at an All-Star level – He can’t just play. He’s got to stay at an All-Star level. – and if Paul George can play close to an All-Star level, there’s no team in the Eastern Conference (that should beat them).”
The Sixers didn’t validate Barkley’s positive words from Tuesday afternoon. They lost to the Chicago Bulls a few hours later, and they dropped the second half of their back-to-back to the Cavaliers on Wednesday. However, the limited availability of the two players he mentioned played a major factor.
Embiid played in only one of the two losses, and George is still on the sidelines with a knee injury.
A Roller Coaster Ride
The Sixers rode a stressful roller coaster in all three losses during their current 1-3 stretch.
While extreme momentum swings characterize the modern NBA, Nick Nurse’s squad can still benefit from better stability to avoid such chaotic runs. Philadelphia fans will inevitably turn up the heat considering the scars of blown leads during the Doc Rivers era, most notably in infamous losses to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The Boston Celtics jumped on the Sixers right from the opening tip on Halloween night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. They led by as many as 26. While the home team rallied for a chance to win in the final seconds, they couldn’t finish off a spirited comeback with no margin for error to work with.
Roller coaster doesn’t properly describe the ESPN win probability chart for the matchup in the Windy City on Tuesday. It was more like bungee jumping off a cliff.
The Sixers stormed out of the gates with a 45-point outburst in the first quarter. However, the Bulls rallied from down 24. Nik Vucevic reminded Philadelphia 13 years later of their mistake to include him in the Andrew Bynum trade. The veteran big man drained a game-winning corner three to stun the sluggish Sixers in the final seconds.
Embiid and George missed the matchup against the East’s odds-on favorite. Donovan Mitchell unsurprisingly torched the Sixers with 46 points in Cleveland. Tyrese Maxey and the backcourt’s valiant comeback effort also fell short with another nonexistent margin for error.
Turnover Rate
A controllable element of the game that might help the 76ers find better consistency is the ability to take care of the basketball. Their high variance in turnover rates has directly correlated with their success during the recent 1-3 stretch.
76ers in Past
4 GamesCeltics
(10/31)Nets
(11/2)Bulls
(11/4)Cavaliers
(11/5)Turnover Rate per possession18.8%14.9%15.8%18.3%Percentile Rank of
NBA Games15th54th42nd20thGame ResultLossWinLossLossAccording to Cleaning the Glass
A young backcourt will inevitably cough up the ball with its fair share of mistakes. Jared McCain’s return to the lineup will change the rotation in the upcoming weeks while Nurse emphasizes taking care of the ball.
Quentin Grimes leads the team with 26 turnovers despite playing fewer minutes than young veteran Tyrese Maxey and the third-overall pick VJ Edgecombe.