Blame it upon rookie center Joel Embiid. When the chips were down and the Philadelphia 76ers had earned just 10 wins to their 25 losses, Joel Embiid claimed the Philadelphia 76ers could make the playoffs. The national media guffawed. Some analysts calculated that the claim was mathematically possible. But for all intents and purposes, Joel Embiid did not make the claim for the fans, nor for the NBA at large.
He made the claim to his teammates. And they heard him. In fact, the Philadelphia 76ers were a different team after that bold statement.