Joe DiProsperos
The Process has returned to the Conference Semis for the second straight year following a very average takedown of the Brooklyn Nets.
Next up: Toronto.
The Raptors took three of the four regular season face-offs with the Sixers, but all of those games took place before the Tobias Harris trade. For perspective, the last time these teams faced off in February (a 119-107 Raptors win), Mike Muscala played 31 minutes. This Sixers team is clearly much improved since then and I highly doubt this battle will be as one-sided as it was in the regular season.
Nevertheless, Toronto could prove to be a matchup nightmare for the Sixers. Matchups, to me, are going to be key in this series. The Raptors’ starting rotation is extremely dynamic, and there’s no hiding any potential weaknesses on either end of the floor. But there are two matchups in particular I’m paying close attention to.
Kawhi Leonard is a stone-cold killer, and he has made Ben Simmons’ life miserable whenever he’s guarding him. Ben averaged a tick over six turnovers a game against Toronto, highlighted by his 11-turnover outing in the first matchup. Ben cannot let Kawhi control him, as hard as that could be. If Ben allows himself to get stymied by Kawhi, then the whole offense could suffer.
In addition, Marc Gasol is one of the few players in the league who can say they have kept Joel Embiid relatively in check. Like Al Horford, he’s a savvy veteran with a strong body who makes smart moves and knows how to keep guys off-balance. Force-feeding Joel in the post might not work this time around, so getting Joel more face-up and off-ball opportunities might be key.
The Sixers also need to find ways to limit the amount of transition opportunities for the Raptors, an area Toronto has been deadly in this year. That’s going to come from simply making the right plays on the offensive end to limit turnovers.
With that being said, I probably feel more confident than I should about the Sixers in this series. They just appear to be coming together as a team at the right time, and when they’re on, they’ve proven they can take on anybody. It’s going to be a grind of a series, but I think this squad advances to the franchise’s first Conference Finals since 2001.
Prediction: Sixers in 7