Philadelphia 76ers stand in way of Boston Celtics dominance
By Bret Stuter
Philly vs. New England… again?
The Philadelphia 76ers stand in their way. Perhaps not this year. Perhaps not even next season. But those Celtics front court roles are built around the health of 31 year old Aron Baynes and 31 year old Al Horford. Conversely, the Philadelphia 76ers front court is forged in the furnaces of youth. As you strip away the free agents from the 76ers roster, you reveal a core of players in the range of 27 to 19.
Yes, the Boston Celtics have 25 year old Kyrie Irving, an outstanding veteran NBA player who has played 485 games so far. 27 year old Robert Covington of the Philadelphia 76ers has played nearly half that number, or just 262 games. And there it is, the wear and tear factor.
The rivalry remains
Despite the absence of the Philadelphia 76er in playoff discussion in the past five years, there will always be that rivalry waiting to surface at the right moment. It was no accident that a young rookie Jahlil Okafor had a confrontation with Celtics’ fans. The surprising part is that no 76ers players had a run in at Boston prior to that.
In many great rivalries, there is a mix of dislike mixed with a certain amount of respect. But the Celtics fans have not shown respect to anything Philadelphian in my lifetime. In fact, it’s been the opposite.