Philadelphia 76ers: 3 matchups to watch in Wizards first round series

The Philadelphia 76ers first round series is set with the Washington Wizards claiming the eighth seed in the Play-in Tournament. Obviously, the Sixers will dominate this series with Joel Embiid having his way against the Wizards’ three-man rotation at centers.

That being written, there are at least three other matchups in this series that fans should be interested in. These three matchups will also dictate how long this series will go. If the Sixers dominate these matchups then this series, then they could sweep Washington in four games.

3 matchups to watch in Wizards first round series: Tobias Harris vs. Rui Hachimura

On paper and on the court Tobias Harris is clearly the better player between himself and Rui Hachimura. Harris averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, while converting 51.2 percent from the field and 39.4 percent of his 3-pointers this season.

“This is the perfect matchup for Harris to gain confidence in his scoring ability in the postseason…”

This year, Hachimura averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists this year. He also shot 47.6 percent from the floor and 32.8 percent from downtown. Harris has been an above average defender this year, whereas Hachimura has struggled on that side of the ball.

While on paper this matchup appears to be in Harris’ favor, he’s struggled in the postseason with Philly and I’ve written about how he needs to turn it around these playoffs. That turnaround starts with this matchup against Hachimura.

There’s no reason why Hachimura should be able to slow Harris’ offensive game. This is the perfect matchup for Harris to gain confidence in his scoring ability in the postseason as it won’t get easier in the second round. If the 76ers are going to have a deep playoff run, then they need Harris to be a dominant scorer and it starts with him taking advantage of a young player like Hachimura.