Philadelphia 76ers (4-seed) versus Cleveland Cavaliers (3-seed)
Despite facing the 2-seed Boston Celtics, I believe the Celtics injuries catch up to them against the healthier Cavaliers. And honestly, isn’t this the matchup the NBA wants to see? Ben versus LeBron. But the media will go nuts over the prediction Joel Embiid made at the end of the 2016-2017 season.
Embiid - "When I say we are going to be ready to win when the Cavs are going down, that doesn't mean, like, five years." Philly Inquirer
— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) May 17, 2017
And that will take this contest to another level. Don’t look for lovey lovey in this one. Everyone in this contest know the stake, and will not be looking to lose gracefully.
A series Philly can win
The Philadelphia 76ers gain confidence with each playoff game, win or lose. While I won’t bet the Sixers get past the Toronto Raptors, I hope they do. In this series, the Philadelphia 76ers match up very well. You see, this is NOT a championship Cavaliers team from two years ago. It’s not even a Cavaliers team that started the season. This team was assemble on the fly, and the instinctive communication will be worse than that of the 76ers.
To get here. LeBron will need to get the Cavaliers past the Wizards and the Celtics. He can do that. But by the time LeBron encounters Philadelphia, the strain will be showing. LeBron will rule the Playoffs. But much like the 76ers team with Allen Iverson, a team can beat the Cavs by winning the other contests. Right now, the series favors the Cavaliers 1-2. And with Embiid out, the Cavs will be favored to win the next contest. But should Philadelphia advance two rounds, they will be up to the challenge.