The Philadelphia 76ers already look the part of an Eastern Conference contender.
Rolling out to a 3-1 series lead over the Miami Heat, the Philadelphia 76ers already look like Eastern Conference contenders. With the Raptors and Cavaliers both struggling for different reasons, one might argue that they’re Easter Conference favorites.
That’s almost unheard of for a team as young as Philly. They’ve added veterans, sure, but their core is in the early stages of its development. Ben Simmons is a rookie, while Joel Embiid is in just his second season. Their second-leading scorer (behind Simmons) is Dario Saric, another second-year player.
The Sixers are rolling through round one with a group of guys that doesn’t have much experience in this setting. Given the level of talent in the NBA, that just doesn’t happen that often. Experience, more often than not, wins out.
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Dwyane Wade‘s comments following the Sixers’ Game 4 win were telling.
"“They’re special. They put the right team together. I’ve said that multiple times … Ultimately, sometimes the playoffs becomes too big for certain guys, or some guys don’t know how to match the intensity of the playoffs, or whatever the case may be. They play that way already. They already play to that intense level. They have an edge to them, and I think this series has given everybody a little more edge as well because of the physicality of the series” — Philly.com"
A lot of this ties back to Ben Simmons’ poise. In an extremely physical series, he’s pinpointing passes and controlling the offense like few veterans can. He’s the first rookie since Magic Johnson to record a playoff triple-double.
Some of it has to do with Joel Embiid’s attitude. The dude has always been confident, and he backs that confidence up on the court. Even when he struggled offensively in Game 4, his defense changed the feel of the game on multiple occasions.
The Sixers, youth and inexperience aside, have a group that’s capable of staying composed in high-pressure moments. That’s one of the biggest keys in elevating a team to championship status.
Next: Who should the Sixers want to face in round two?
There’s a good chance that the Sixers would have to go through either LeBron James or the top-seeded Raptors to reach the NBA Finals. With how they’ve played thus far, that feels like a legitimate possibility.