Ryan Callahan
Despite dominating the Brooklyn Nets in their round one matchup, I do not see the Sixers advancing past the Toronto Raptors in the semifinals.
While the Sixers advantage in most playoff statistics, the Raptors’ depth and discipline will be hard to overcome. They turn the ball over less than the Sixers, have a more talented and versatile bench and have been playing together all year, unlike the Sixers, who are on their third iteration of the team.
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What the Sixers have going for them is, surprisingly, their roster turnover. The Raptors and Sixers matched up together four times in the regular season, with Toronto winning three out of four games. However, the Sixers went into zero of those games with Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanović or Mike Scott, three integral components of the team. This could prove valuable for the Sixers, as the Raptors will have to create a game plan around a lineup they have never played themselves.
Even so, I see Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors defeating the Sixers in six or seven hard-fought games. This will by no means be a blowout like each team’s previous series ended up being after some first-game scares. However, Leonard’s personal brilliance and playoff success, the Raptors’ staunch defense and overall experience will be hard to overcome.
For the Sixers to win, Ben Simmons will have to be on. In the previous three games against Toronto in which Leonard played, Simmons averaged eight turnovers per game. Simmons will have to be extremely careful with the ball and fully engaged defensively for the Sixers to come out on top. He is the X-factor for the Sixers in this series.
Prediction: Raptors in 7