The Philadelphia 76ers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2012 and have taken their most significant step in 'The Process'.

As things stand, the Sixers are on course to secure home-court advantage in the first round as they sit fourth in the Eastern Conference standings.

That potential matchup could be against the Indiana Pacers as they jostle for positions in the final games of the season.

There's no doubt that with the talent they have on their roster, the 76ers will be dangerous opponents for any team in the postseason.

While the likes of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have deservedly received many of the plaudits for their success this year, several players have gone slightly under the radar and should be recognised for their contributions.

One of those players is Dario Saric, who has shown a vast improvement this campaign.

Since the turn of the year, the small forward is averaging 16.4 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 43.2 percent from three-point range, a huge increase on the 31.1 percent in his rookie year.

The 23-year-old has proven to be the X-factor on this Philadelphia team and his presence makes them even more of a threat in the playoffs.

The 76ers are being labelled as the dark horses by some experts and could cause some shocks.

Philly is a confident team and can go toe to toe with any team in the east but Saric has admitted that there is one team and one player, in particular, that they'd prefer to avoid.

“I don’t want to play against LeBron James,” he said, per Sarah Todd of Philly.com. He’s a top-three player in the history of the NBA. You play against him in the playoffs, it’s different.”

Having won the east and been to the finals in seven consecutive years, there's no doubt that the road through the conference will have to go through the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar and Saric is simply speaking the truth.

Outside of LeBron, however, the Croatian says that any other team is "more than welcome" to come to Philadelphia for a playoff series.

“I think we can beat everybody — for sure, everybody,” he said. “Even on an away court.”

Having the benefit of home-court advantage will be huge for the Sixers as they have one of the most boisterous crowds in the league.

The fans have waited six years to welcome playoff basketball back to the Wells Fargo Center and Saric says the players will feed off that energy in the arena.

“I feel the fans and I feel the atmosphere,” he said. “Everybody started playing basketball because of that feeling, not because you’ll have some car or some house or something like that.”

They have just eight games remaining to secure a top-four finish, which begins with a road game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Listen HERE to the first episode of the new GiveMeSport NBA podcast, featuring former Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin.

Enjoy, and please subscribe for all future episodes.