Philadelphia 76ers roundtable: First round series predictions vs. Brooklyn Nets

AJ Iezzi

There are two things that worry me about playing the Brooklyn Nets.

1. Their guards can get going in a hurry: D’Angelo Russell is a volume scorer. DLo is a 36 percent three-point shooter that can dissect a defense. He’s also an excellent pick-and-roll handler, where he spends nearly half of his offensive possessions. Spencer Dinwiddie is one of the top isolation scorers in the league and seems to always carve up the Sixers. Don’t forget about Caris LeVert or league-leading three-point shooter Joe Harris.

2. They have nothing to lose: If the Nets won 39 games and finished as the ninth seed, nobody would have blinked. Brooklyn put their young pieces in the right place and earned a playoff bid. The Nets are young and lacking playoff experience, but that means they’re hungry to make their mark.

I have a ton of respect for the Nets. Top to bottom, the Nets should be the blueprint for how to resurrect a listless franchise.

But …

The Sixers just have too much to handle. They’ll play their starters for nearly 40 minutes a night, and the lack of chemistry is a valid point, but talent will win out. Joel Embiid will require extra attention, but he’s capable of devouring anyone on Brooklyn’s roster. Long Island native Tobias Harris has potential to have a major series, because he might draw the worst defender from the Nets starting lineup. Look at the Nets roster and find a five-man group that can stop the Sixers’ five best players. I’ll wait.

I’m well aware the Sixers’ pick-and-roll defense is going to be a really important component of slowing down the Nets and the Sixers’ cohesion on offense needs some retooling, but at the end of the day the Sixers just have more weapons. If the Sixers can get some quality minutes from Zhaire Smith and Jonah Bolden off the bench, this team could find an extra gear and the series might be a little less stressful.

Prediction: Sixers in 5