Caleb Martin is a perfect fit for the new-look Sixers.

Caleb Martin is a perfect fit for the new-look Sixers. Athletically, and thematically. They are a team that is built with a near-singular focus on winning in the postseason. He is a player who has consistently shown himself to be uniquely built to perform in playoff games.

Pay no attention to that trifling matter of the regular season. At least, for a moment. If the Sixers woke up tomorrow needing to win a playoff series against the Celtics or Knicks or Bucks, they would do so with a starting five that looks every bit their adversary’s equal.

I’ll leave that last sentence to hang there for a bit. It may not be entirely true. At the very least, it is debatable. What matters right now is that the argument can be made in good faith, with a straight face, with plenty of evidence on one’s side.

That is an accomplishment. Regardless of what happens between now and October, however their roster expresses itself within the framework of an 82-game season, the Sixers will enter the 2024-25 season with legitimate reason to believe that they can be the last ones standing. That is more than they had a month ago, after a first-round loss to the Knicks. It is much more than they had two weeks ago, when New York made its landscape-shifting acquisition of Mikal Bridges just as the Sixers hopes of adding another star of their own appeared to have dimmed. You can argue that it is more than they’ve had in any of the last six seasons.