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Philadelphia 76ers mailbag: Embiid’s defense, Brett Brown’s strategy & more

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 14: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers blocks the shot of DeMarre Carroll #5 of the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center on December 14, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 14: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers blocks the shot of DeMarre Carroll #5 of the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center on December 14, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 11: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up with Joel Embiid #21 prior to the game against the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center on January 11, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 11: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up with Joel Embiid #21 prior to the game against the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center on January 11, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Sixers versus High Schoolers

TL;DR: Yes.

Let’s start with a few certainties:

  • Those two players would be Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid
  • We’re working with the current iterations of Simmons and Embiid. Not their high school selves. They are also giving full, NBA game-level effort.
  • We’re talking about a state championship. Not a normal high school game. Not me and you. We’re working with some of the best high school players in the state.
    • High school rules. That means high school three point line, one-and-ones, no restricted area, etc.

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    I’ve played against fringe NBA-level talent a few times. It was freaking terrifying. No one that size should be able to move like that. It’s disorienting. Then again, I was not a high school state champion.

    After careful deliberation, I’ve surmised that this game would ultimately come down to one thing: outside shooting. If you read question one and are still here, then we are in agreement that Embiid could lock down the entire painted area. That would leave Simmons to furiously run around the perimeter to lock down shooters.

    But each made or missed shot has massive consequences. If the high schoolers are canning threes, they are completely unstoppable on offense. No amount of hustling could cover three or four outside shooters. Subsequently, the high school team could feasibly employ the unprecedented five-on-one press to prevent the inbounds pass after a made basket.

    Yet, after a miss, Simmons could single handedly race down the court and dunk with no impediment. Even in a slower pace, once they inbound the ball, how does one stop Joel Embiid from dunking?

    So, for the high schoolers to succeed, they need to make their outside shots and then prevent our Sixers duo from inbounding the ball. In that case, our Sixers would be doomed.

    Still, on a high school team with only one or two outside shooters, do the Sixers have a real shot? Simmons could terrorize the shooters while Embiid locks down the paint, and the high schoolers must funnel the ball to their non-shooters.

    Next: Analyzing Furkan Korkmaz in FIBA

    Knowing that, I’m going to take the Sixers. I’m willing to bet on high schoolers panicking and missing shots and on no one being able to stop Joel Embiid from dunking. Give me Simmons and Embiid over Neumann Goretti, 82-68.