For the Philadelphia 76ers to accomplish their postseason goals, players and coaches must step up their performance. However, there are five players in particular who will be the key to defeating the Boston Celtics in the first round.
"“I THINK THIS TEAM IS DESIGNED FOR THE PLAYOFFS.” — Brett Brown"
Brett Brown is officially coaching for his job. He declared that the construction of the Philadelphia 76ers roster will bring success in the playoffs. If this is the case, he must figure out his rotation and pinpoint which players are most valuable in this tough matchup against their longtime rival, the Boston Celtics.
Who will he have guarding Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker? Will he depend mainly on Joel Embiid to generate offense, or will he find other players to step up should the Celtics relentlessly double team the All-Star center?
These are questions to ponder, so we will explore the players who are most critical in this first-round matchup against Boston.
5. Alec Burks
Some people scratched their head when Elton Brand traded draft assets for Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks. Once the season restarted in July and the offense began sputtering, we now know why the deal was made.
In this series versus the Celtics, the 76ers will need someone other than Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris to score the basketball. No other player off the bench has been as productive as Burks. We have seen him put up impressive scoring numbers, considering that the 76ers won’t be getting playmaking contributions from Ben Simmons.
Burks gives the team an offensive threat who can get to the rim and finish or pull up for 3. What he lacks in passing, he makes up for a smooth shooting stroke from long distance. With the Celtics showing they can put up high scores in the eight seeding games, the Sixers will need a player like Burks to inject instant offense into their system.
Burks may not have worn a red, white, and blue jersey as long as his other teammates, but his bench scoring is one of the top five keys to the 76ers’ playoff achievements.