The Philadelphia 76ers’ first round playoff opponent is set and it is a familiar foe: the Boston Celtics. In order for the Sixers to advance past the first round, Joel Embiid needs to dominate this series, which is set up for him to thrive.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ struggles against Boston in recent years past are well documented, yet prior to Ben Simmons’ injury, I was excited for a potential first round matchup with the Celtics. The Sixers went 3-1 against Boston this season and looked to have moved past the issues that previously plagued them.
A point worth noting in this match up is the Celtics biggest weakness is our greatest strength. Boston is extremely well coached, has explosive guards, and their bench depth is arguably the best in the league. Yet, the frontcourt is their Achilles heel, and that is where the Sixers can apply pressure.
Joel Embiid will be primarily guarded by a rotation of Enes Kanter and Daniel Theis. Neither Kanter nor Theis can effectively guard Embiid, and if he plays up to his potential he can put up monster numbers in both points and rebounds every game. Obviously, Brad Stevens will send double teams, but Embiid is an effective passer from the post and can find perimeter shooters like Tobias Harris and Shake Milton. We saw this version of Embiid on December 12 against the Celtics, when he scored 38 points with 13 rebounds and six assists.
The preseason X-factor for the Sixers playoff run appeared to be Al Horford, yet as the season progressed his play was inconsistent and disappointing to say the least. However, this could be the series where he (somewhat) earns his massive paycheck. Horford played three seasons in Boston under Stevens and knows the system well, which means he also knows how to exploit it.
Horford can also challenge the bigs on Boston, as he has the skill set and basketball I.Q. to outplay both Kanter and Theis. The Sixers were planning to run the offense through the paint against the Celtics due to this advantage, but it becomes even more crucial with the absence of Ben Simmons. Philly needs both Embiid and Horford to show up if we want to have any chance of beating the Celtics in a seven-game series.
“This team is built for the playoffs” has been said about this Sixers team more times than I can count. Now it is time to find out if this is true.