NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference: Sixers vs Nets (3v6)

The NBA playoffs are set and with the end of march madness, basketball attention has completely shifted towards the NBA. All eyes on the star-studded cast of characters set to fight to keep their seasons alive. The East is filled with rosters of blue-chip, playoff-experienced talent, many NBA franchises are proud to have even made the post-season having low expectations the year prior. Without further introduction, here is the matchups filling in for the bottom half of the Eastern Conference bracket.

Philadelphia 76ers #3

The Sixers are back in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. They hold the same seed as they did last season, this go around however, the Sixers are loaded with talent all across their starting 5. The young cornerstones of Simmons and Embiid are now joined by mid-season acquisitions Jimmy Butler from the Timberwolves and Tobias Harris from the Clippers. All of a sudden a team who started the season lacking wing-scoring and perimeter shooting has found its rhythm at just the right time. Philly is an offensive juggernaut averaging top 5 in points per game despite being only 19th in 3-pointer made at just over 10 a game. This style of inside play will pose as a great advantage when the game slows down in the post season. 

Many believed in the beginning of the season that the 76ers were at times too talented for their own good. Last year showed it as the 76ers faced a 0-3 series deficit against a Boston Celtics team playing without their two best players. The youth and inexperience of Simmons and Embiid proved not enough come playoff time. The same can be the case, but the presence of Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris will aid the team tremendously when the game slows down. The city of brotherly love is ready for another ring. A taste of champagne for the first time since the Dr. J days.

Brooklyn Nets #6

Brooklyn’s in the building! And by surprise to almost everyone including the delusional Nets fans from the beginning of the season. Caris Levert has bounced back from his horrific leg injury he suffered earlier in the season, Spencer Dinnwiddie is a 6th Man of the Year Candidate averaging just over 16 points per game, 3-Point Champion Joe Harris has been pulling his weight, and MIP favorite D’Angelo Russell is having an all-star year for the ages averaging 21 points per game, 7 assists per game, and 3 3-pointers made per game. 

The Nets have finally emerged from the ashes created by Billy King and Danny Ainge trading away the boatload of draft picks. The trading of D’Angelo Russell has proven to be a great success (short-term if worse case), the selfless and dynamic nature of the roster proses intrigue and excitement within the team, and the culture planted by coach Kenny Atkinson has set Brooklyn as a playoff lock for years to come.

MATCHUP 

It’s a true example of David vs Goliath, at least within the first unit. The star power within the starting unit of the Sixers will prove to be too big of a challenge for even D’Angelo Russell to handle. Offensively, Simmons is already a matchup nightmare for most small defenders, Redick and Harris are perimeter scoring threats, Butler can play make and create his own shot, while Embiid proclaims himself to be “the most unstoppable player in the league”. Its hard not to count out D’Angelo Russell as he is a scoring threat the minute he crosses half-court. Russell needs to stay poised and not trigger happy throughout this series. DLo is just as capable shooting the Nets out of a game as his shooting them into a game. 

The bench play will deem to be in favor of the Nets. Although the Sixers have a strong first five, they are very shallow. The Sixers bench offense usually runs through back-up point guard TJ McConnell who has shown moments of promise in the playoffs before, but has struggled to stay consistent. The Sixers’ bench is offensively limited and to a great fault. Mike Scott has given energy and playoff experience to the team, but that will prove to be not enough for the Sixers bench to withstand the offensive firepower of the Dinwiddie and Levert.

The Deciding factor in all of this will end up being playoff experience. The Sixers have plenty while the Nets have little to none. We have seen time in time again, the team with playoff experience know how to gut out wins and pull out victors in a series. The opposite personnel between star power and team cohesion will show throughout the entirety of the series. Expect the series to stretch out to seven games.