THE FACTORS that you use to measure the success of a sports team really aren't that complicated - winning seasons, improvement from year to year, playoff appearances and, ultimately, championships.
Over the past four seasons none of those factors could be linked to the 76ers when it comes to their advancement. Their progress could only be measured in hopeful draft picks and optimism surrounding player development.
There seems to be change on the immediate horizon, however. Not because the team has won two consecutive games on the road for the first time in almost two years, or because of the continued development of Joel Embiid, who very well could be a superstar in the making.