Plenty of surprises have arisen a month into the NBA season.

The middle of the East, in particular, has been better than expected. All three of Philly, Miami, and Toronto occupy playoff or play-in spots, when the Heat were the only ones who made it last year.

So, what’s changed? In Philly, it’s been a changing of the guard.

The Process is reaching its end

Currently the 8th seed with a 9-7 record, the Sixers have been better than expected — especially when factoring in Embiid’s form. Even with a good start, the Sixers are still searching for an identity that fits both Embiid and their young guns, since the big fella’s style is in direct contrast to how Edgecombe and Maxey want to play.

Due to his lumbering style, Philly’s transition frequency is an abysmal 12.6% (4th percentile) when E

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