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.
3 matchups to watch in Wizards first round series: Danny Green/Matisse Thybulle vs. Bradley Beal
Technically this matchup is two-folded as I have included both Danny Green and Matisse Thybulle in matching up against All-Star Bradley Beal. Both of these wings for the Philadelphia 76ers should see a lot of time on the Wizards’ most lethal scorer.
On the year, Green has averaged 9.5 points and 1.7 steals, while making 40.5 percent of his 3-pointers. Thybulle averaged 3.9 points, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks, while shooting just 30.1 percent from deep this season.
Beal was the NBA’s second-leading scorer this year, averaging 31.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists, while going 48.5 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from behind the arc. Regardless to say that both Green and Thybulle have their hands full as the Sixers should be deploying their best perimeter defender elsewhere in this series.
The good news for the 76ers is that Thybulle is an elite defender and despite being a reserve, he’s a legit candidate for an All-Defensive team. Green is still a legit threat as a 3-and-D wing at this stage in his career. As long as they don’t let Beal go off for 60 points like he did earlier this season against Philly, they should be able to defend him adequately.
3 matchups to watch in Wizards first round series: Ben Simmons vs. Russell Westbrook
Some would argue that the Sixers should have Ben Simmons defend Beal as Simmons’ a top candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year, however that wouldn’t be the best use of his talents. He would best affect the flow of the game by defending Russell Westbrook.
More from The Sixer Sense
- 3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball
- 76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster
- 76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this season
- Grade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock deal
- Sixers Podcast: Danny Green returns + James Harden bombshell
Westbrook is the most athletic point guard in NBA and the All-Time leader in triple-doubles. He controls the flow of the Wizards offensive and gets other players involved. Impeeding his playmaker and scoring would force Beal to beat the 76ers by himself, which Beal hasn’t been able to do in the past.
Having a bigger player on Westbrook would take away his ability to score around the rim and force him to be an outside shooter which he can’t do consistently. The Boston Celtics had forward Jayson Tatum guard Westbrook in the Play-In Tournament and it limited the point guard’s effectiveness on offense in that game.
Having a disruptive defender like Simmons would also make it hard for Westbrook to get his teammates involved. At 6-foot-10, Simmons is big and quick enough to give Westbrook problems. Slowing down Westbrook is key in making this an easy series for Philly.
In terms of production, both point guards impact the game on every level. Westbrook has averaged 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 11.7 assists, while shooting 31.5 percent from the 3-point line. Simmons averages on the year are 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.6 steals.
The focus of this matchup for Simmons will be on defense, but he needs to be aggressive on offense as well. That means seeing him get a few pull-up jumpers and getting to the free throw line at a higher rate than he did for most of this season.
There are going to be some great matchups in this first round series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Wizards. How the Sixers do in these matchups will dictate if they can get a sweep or not.