Philadelphia 76ers: Grading possible outcomes of the 2018-19 season
By Matt Burnham
Grade: A
The Philadelphia 76ers reach the NBA Finals. For the first time since 2010, a team without LeBron James wins the Eastern Conference. The Sixers get to this point after a sweet Game 7 thriller victory in Milwaukee.
They were able to turn Giannis Antetokuonmpo into a shooter while Embiid had the hot hand from mid-range, three-point territory, and the charity stripe. The star power on the side of the Philadelphia 76ers proved to be too much for the Bucks to handle. J.J. Redick from three-point range off the screen is deadly and the Bucks have no answer. Antetokuonmpo finds himself in foul trouble and thus Embiid is able to purchase real estate inside the paint. Tobias Harris proves to be the most effective deal at the deadline as he is the Sixers’ second leading scorer in this series, averaging 24 per contest.
The Sixers move onto the championship round and find themselves in Oracle “Roaracle” Arena for Game 1 and Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson re-define their title of “Splash Brothers” and make it next to impossible to defend, especially with the arguable best player in the world looking to win his third consecutive Finals MVP. Kevin Durant shows zero weaknesses and he scores 34 en route to a 127-112 win. Game 2 is much closer with similar happenings, but the Warriors still win 108-104 as Durant controls the game over the final two minutes.
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While Philadelphia is able to take Game 3 at home, the Warriors out-shoot the Sixers in Game 4 and walk away with the soul-crushing blow as the series returns to Oracle with the Warriors up 3-1. The Warriors play lackadaisical at home in this one. Embiid is a monster on the glass and Ben Simmons gets his typical 15-10-11 triple double. The Sixers fight for their lives and steal Game 5 on the road with the Warriors playing at 85 percent effort for much of the game.
Game 6 is a different story as the Warriors keep their foot on the gas pedal for 48 minutes and win a title on the road for the third time in the previous five seasons. The Sixers put up a terrific fight and no game was decided by more than 9 points except for Game 1.
All is not lost, though. Kevin Durant leaves Golden State as he wins his third consecutive Finals MVP and is moving onto a new chapter. The Warriors are not the same juggernaut and everybody else in the NBA is relieved. Embiid finishes First Team All-NBA. He, Simmons, and Jimmy Butler all take spots on the All-Defensive Teams. Harris and Butler re-sign and upgrades are made to improve the depth issue.