If we had announced this series of playoffs at the start of the season, this poster would undoubtedly have been the big shock of this first round. But now, water has flowed under the bridges in Brooklyn, and the workforce has been turned upside down.
Suddenly, no Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving to face Joel Embiid and James Harden, nor a reunion between Ben Simmons and his former Philadelphia audience. And this series finally seems to be on paper one of the most unbalanced of this first round of the “postseason”.
PRESENTATION OF THE SIXERS
Holders: James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker, Joel Embiid
The substitutes: De’Anthony Melton, Jalen McDaniels, Georges Niang, Danuel House Jr, Paul Reed, Montrezl Harrell, Dewayne Dedmon, Shake Milton, Furkan Korkmaz, Jaden Springer
The coach: Doc Rivers
As often, the Sixers ensured on the regular season. For the fifth time in the last six seasons, they will thus benefit from home advantage in the first round.
It must be said that with Joel Embiid and James Harden, Philly has in its ranks respectively the best scorer and the best passer in the league this season. Alongside them, Tyrese Maxey is having his career-best season averaging 20.3 points on 43.4% from 3-point range and the squad seems more solid and consistent than in previous years. To top it off, Philadelphia arrives in the “postseason” without major injuries.
STRONG POINTS
– Joel Embid. Favorite to win the regular season MVP Michael Jordan trophy, the Cameroonian has generally imposed his power and craftiness on all his opponents. Able to score in all positions, he takes pleasure in pushing his direct opponents. Can the very fine Nic Claxton resist him for a whole series? It seems doubtful, and the Nets will have to multiply the defensive schemes, and the aids, to limit the impact of Joel Embiid. It’s up to him to find his teammates quickly, and it’s up to them to quickly attack the intervals, or to be effective at 3-pointers, to blast the defense of Brooklyn, which also tends to “switch” everything. If they succeed, Philadelphia will be in perfect position to rally the semifinals of the conference.
– A complete (au) group. If Joel Embiid and James Harden are the engines of the team, the club still seems to have surrounded its two stars better, in order to aim as high as possible. With therefore the will-o’-the-wisp Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker, De’Anthony Melton, Jalen McDaniels, Georges Niang or even Danuel House Jr, Doc Rivers has different profiles at his disposal to exploit the breaches in the opponents.
WEAK POINTS
– The minutes without Joel Embiid. The pivot is the only player in the workforce whose passages on the bench are synonymous with negative “Net Rating” for the Sixers. Thus, Philadelphia scores 8.8 points more than its opponents, on 100 possessions, when Joel Embiid is on the field. On the other hand, the team scores 1.5 points less than its opponents, on 100 possessions, without Joel Embiid on the ground. A problem, linked to the enormous influence of the potential MVP on his team, which Doc Rivers has still not managed to settle, while the coach nevertheless has an army of pivots (Paul Reed, Montrezl Harrell, Dewayne Dedmon) on the bench.
– The defensive withdrawal. The Sixers are 28th in points left to opponents on quick play. James Harden and Joel Embiid are not the players who will cut off opposing counterattacks and against the Nets who like to run with their army of wingers, it could be a problem if the ball losses multiply. Philadelphia will have to avoid offering too much ammunition to opposing sprinters…
NET PRESENTATION
Holders: Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nic Claxton
The substitutes: Seth Curry, Joe Harris, Patty Mills, Royce O’Neal, Yuta Watanabe, Cam Thomas, Edmond Sumner, Day’Ron Sharpe, David Duke
The absents : Ben Simmons
The coach: Jacques Vaughn
The Nets undoubtedly have the impression of having lived three seasons in one, so much cacophony and uncertainty have reigned in the club. Steve Nash was thus thanked in November, then in February, Kyrie Irving was sent to Dallas. As for Kevin Durant, it is in Arizona, in Phoenix, that he put down his suitcases. These last two departures have therefore completely changed the face, and the ambitions of Brooklyn this season.
Despite everything, the Nets did not sink following the transfers, with 13 victories for 15 defeats after the “trade deadline”. Better, they found an already well-polished gem with Mikal Bridges. Arrived in Brooklyn in the trade of Kevin Durant, he completely exploded under the jersey of the Nets, with 26.1 points per game in Brooklyn.
STRONG POINTS
– The speed of the exteriors. While the Nets are likely to lose the inside and free throw battle, they can use their speed to hurt the Sixers. With Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, Joe Harris, Seth Curry and even Cameron Johnson, the team has what it takes to play fast and test the opposing outside defense. But James Harden and Tyrese Maxey are not the best defenders in the league, especially away from the ball.
– The 3-point shot? We have seen it in some games this season, especially against the Celtics B team, the Sixers can find themselves in difficulty against teams that shoot a lot, and score a lot, from afar. Since the “trade deadline”, Brooklyn has also considerably increased the proportion of shots attempted from afar, going from 21st (32.1%) to 6th place (37.8%) in the league. Efficiency, on the other hand, fell, from 1st (39.2%) to 20th place (35.0). However, if Mikal Bridges and company are effective from afar, they are likely to make this Philadelphia team doubt. And we know that the groups of Doc Rivers do not like to doubt…
WEAK POINTS
– Inexperience. This Nets group is pretty green, and it starts with coach Jacque Vaughn. In front of him, Doc Rivers, a regular in the postseason. As for the players, they are very young, and they probably lack a boss. Even though Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson played in the NBA Finals in Phoenix, they were only lieutenants then. To put it simply, James Harden has played 149 career playoff games, more than all Nets starters combined (140)!
– The half-court game. Brooklyn can score points on the counterattack, but the team will also have to be effective on the half-court. The problem is that there is a lack of players who can make a difference on the dribble in this group, even Mikal Bridges being even more comfortable in the game without the ball. Spencer Dinwiddie could be essential, but the point guard is particularly fickle…
THE KEY TO THE SERIES
– Contain Joel Embiid. While he should be the best player in the series, the attention will obviously be on him. In the two games he has played against the Nets this season, the Cameroonian has averaged 31.5 points and 11.5 rebounds at 50% shooting! Result ? Two wins. A very serious problem to which Brooklyn players seem to lack an answer. Nic Claxton will thus have to achieve a monstrous series to allow the Nets to achieve the upset. No doubt the Nets will have to limit their defensive “switching”, and multiply the catches to two. But even so, the mission promises to be really complex.
REGULAR SEASON
Philadelphia 4-0
November 22: Sixers Net 115-106
January 25: Sixers Net 137-133
February 11: Nets 98-101 Sixers
April 9: Nets 105-134 Sixers
VERDICT
On paper, this is undoubtedly one of the most unbalanced series of this first round. The Nets have nothing to lose, however, and they can afford to shoot from afar to doubt these Sixers, who play on their side very big. With a dense workforce, Joel Embiid and his troop cannot get out in the first round.
Sixers 4-1
HOURLY
Game 1: in Philadelphia, Saturday April 15 (7:00 p.m.)
Game 2: in Philadelphia, Monday April 17 (1:30 a.m., Monday to Tuesday night in France)
Game 3: in Brooklyn, Thursday April 20 (01:30 a.m., Thursday to Friday night in France)
Game 4: in Brooklyn, Saturday April 22 at 7:00 p.m.
Game 5*: in Philadelphia, Monday, April 24
Game 6*: in Brooklyn, Wednesday April 27
Game 7*: in Philadelphia, Saturday April 29
* If necessary
