Sixers podcast: Celtics preview, playoff predictions, and trade rumors

It’s about that time again — Sixers vs. Celtics in the NBA playoffs.

On the day of the first game of the Sixers-Celtics series, Lucas Johnson and Uriah Young welcome Jonathan Geib onto the The Sixer Sense Podcast to talk playoff hoops.

The first topic jumps right into the single player that is considered the most critical player for the 76ers in the playoff series. The obvious choice would be Joel Embiid, but not one of the three hosts selected the Sixers big man as the most crucial player.

From there, Lucas, Uriah, and Jonathan pivot toward matchups. Which opposing player-on-player game situations stand out the most? Is it Matisse Thybulle vs. Kemba Walker? Enes Kanter vs. Joel Embiid? Those kinds of matchups are broken down in the podcast.

Once matchups are out of the way, they cover the advantage of Al Horford’s knowledge of Brad Stevens’ system and the tendencies of his former teammates. Before they move on from the upcoming series, they discuss whether or not the 76ers have revenge on their minds as the Celtics stand in their way of advancing to the next round. Brad Stevens and his team embarrassed the Sixers in the 2018 conference semifinals. Do Embiid and Brown hold a grudge about the results of that series?

Once they wrap up the series predictions, they recap the last three seeding games that the 76ers played in the Disney bubble. What stood out from the Suns, Raptors, and Rockets games? What could the performances of specific Sixers players mean for the upcoming Celtics series?

The conversation then shifts from player analysis to an interview that was conducted by former Sixer J.J. Redick. On The Old Man and the Three Podcast, Joel Embiid lamented that the departure of Redick and Jimmy Butler was the reason why his early season performance was so sluggish. Redick’s podcast with Embiid is dissected and various ideas are tossed around regarding the authenticity of Embiid’s feelings about playing with Ben Simmons.

The pod then swings in the direction of the NBA trade rumor mill. The latest rumors revolving around the Sixers involve Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Cleveland and New York are interested in the young 76ers stars, and ideas are discussed on which Cavs and Knicks players would be worth exchanging for Embiid and Simmons.

The podcast ends on the predictions of each NBA playoff series. Lucas, Uriah, and Jonathan go through the four western conference matchups first, and then they offer their predictions for each of the four eastern conference matchups.

Thanks for listening to our Sixers discussion this week. Please subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spreaker, or Google Play to catch any and all future conversations about the Philadelphia 76ers.