5. Rim protection
The Sixers seemed to lack a certain presence around the rim in game two, which is natural for a team that’s missing a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Joel Embiid. It’s even more natural when you swap out Amir Johnson for Ersan Ilyasova in the starting group.
It’s something Brett Brown needs to be concerned about, which might motivate them to return Embiid as soon as possible. Miami’s ability to get dribble penetration and pick the Sixers’ defense apart would have been far more limited with Embiid patrolling the paint.
Ilyasova does give the Sixers a clear advantage at center, something they should still use once Embiid returns to the rotation. His shooting essentially takes Whiteside out of the game, which is why the Heat’s prized big man hasn’t seen more than 15 minutes in either playoff game. That, of course, will change once Embiid is back.
Those smaller lineups should work well in spurts, especially if Embiid’s minutes are limited in his first game or two back. It’s improtant that the Sixers maintain their defensive identity and establish a reliable threat around the rim, though.