Philadelphia 76ers: Ranking possible first-round playoff opponents

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Second-Hardest Matchup: Brooklyn Nets

Season series: 2-1, Nets (one more game on March 28)

The Nets stand in seventh place in the East with a .500 record, and they have defied expectations throughout the year, staying consistent even after losing Caris LeVert for an extended period of time. They have Joe Harris, the league’s best three-point shooter who hits them at a 46.3 percent clip, along with three guards capable of catching fire rounding out their top four scorers.

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The Sixers have trouble containing above-average guards due to coach Brown’s switching philosophy, and Spencer Dinwiddie hung 39 points and a win on Philly in 30 minutes in their latest meeting, which happened back in December and before the Tobias Harris trade. In their second meeting of the year in late November, Dinwiddie dropped 31 and D’Angelo Russell had 38 in a two-point win for the Sixers. The teams’ first game of the year ended in a 25-point blowout in favor of Brooklyn before the Jimmy Butler trade, and LeVert, Russell, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson combined for 62 points, while Markelle Fultz dropped nine for Philly.

Brett Brown has to keep his best defenders on his opponents’ best players because scoring outbursts like the ones from Dinwiddie and Russell happen regularly to the Sixers. The Nets will see a different Sixers team in their matchup on March 28th: since the Dinwiddie takeover in their December 12th contest, Philly acquired Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott, and others to fill out their bench.

Ten players average over eight points per game for Brooklyn, while just seven hit that mark for Philadelphia. The Sixers have much more top-end talent with Embiid, Simmons, Butler, and Harris, so Philly should win if they all show up consistently if these teams meet in a seven-game series.

Consistent winning has evaded the Philadelphia 76ers since they started trying again in 2017, and the defense has looked suspect on plenty of occasions this season. Dealing with the Nets’ widespread scoring attack will trouble the defense, but as long as the starting five fill up the basket, the Sixers should win against an inexperienced team.