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Apr 16, 2022 0 comments

 




Philadelphia 76ers Playlist

Philadelphia 76ers Playlist

   

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 Philadelphia has the better record and the best player in this series in Joel Embiid, plus arguably the second-best player in James Harden (more on him later). But this matchup may be the best one for Toronto and their unorthodox style of play — they are an intriguing defensive matchup and there are places for them to attack the 76ers’ defense. A 4/5 series “upset” is not usually shocking, but if Toronto pulls this off it will be a punch to the gut of Philadelphia after it thought it moved into contender status after trading for Harden mid-season. There will be changes in Philly if they are on vacation before the calendar flips to May. Game 1 is Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. Here are the three things the Raptors need to do to win the series. 1) Add to James Harden’s legacy of playoff disappointments Trading to pair James Harden with Joel Embiid was supposed to be the final piece to the puzzle — a dominant perimeter player that meshed with Embiid’s inside game. A duo would turn the 76ers into an unstoppable force. How was anyone going to defend a Harden-Embiid pick-and-roll (or pop)? But after a sizzling start tearing up the Knicks’ “defense,” Harden has been good, not great, as a 76er. He’s averaged 21 points and 10.5 assists a game as a Sixer with an impressive .608 true shooting percentage, but in big moments and games it has still been all about Embiid carrying Philly. 


 Toronto is especially well suited to frustrate Harden. OG Anunoby likely gets the initial assignment, but Harden is not going to be able to force a switch to a favorable matchup against the Raptors because everyone is long and athletic — Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa, Gary Trent Jr. (he can try the undersized Fred VanVleet, but he is an All-Defensive Team level player and pest, that is no easy matchup). Raptors coach Nick Nurse is unquestionably drilling “do not foul” into his wings’ heads, and if they can do that while taking away his drives, or at least limit his ability to score at the rim. That forces Harden into stepback 3s, and he hasn’t been as efficient with those as he was in Houston. If Harden can’t get to the line like he wants, it could be a frustrating series for him, and if it’s frustrating for him the 76ers become the Embiid show. 2) Not let Joel Embiid win the series on his own (and win the minutes he sits) Embiid is not going to win the MVP award this season, but he played well enough to (it’s not that the media hates him, even if he ruins his steaks, it was just one of those years). He averaged a league-leading 30.6 points a game and pulled down 11.7 rebounds a night, plus he is an improved passer and an elite rim protector. He does it all. Full story

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