Sixers-Raptors first round series prediction: Jonathan Geib
The NBA Playoffs are finally here and in Philadelphia this is the most anticipated postseason in 20 years. This 76ers team has an MVP-caliber player and 2021-2022 NBA scoring leader in Joel Embiid paired with a perennial All-Star and former NBA MVP, James Harden. It is the most talented team in recent memory, yet if they can reach their potential is still a huge question mark.
The first-round matchup is set for the Eastern Conference 4th seeded 76ers who will be facing the 5th seeded Toronto Raptors. The last time the Sixers faced Toronto in the playoffs, they lost on the most heartbreaking of last second shots by Kawhi Leonard in Game 7 and I would expect Joel to have some revenge-like feelings brewing prior to this series.
Toronto and Philadelphia met four times in the regular season this year with Toronto winning three of those meetings. Granted this Sixers lineup was substantially overhauled at the trade deadline so the current rosters were not as presently constructed during all those prior games.
Still though, last week’s game in Toronto felt like a must win in order for the Sixers to avoid a first-round matchup with the Raptors due to Matisse Thybulle being unable to play in Canada as a result of his vaccination status. And in that incredibly important game the Sixers, most notably Harden, came up short and lost all but guaranteeing the rematch in the first round of the playoffs. Pascal Siakam went off for a 37-point triple-double which you have to assume would not have happened had the Sixers best perimeter defender, Thybulle, been available and defending Siakam. Now that has become a very concerning issue in this series for all away games in Canada.
Honestly, the Sixers position in the playoff bracket is quite ideal. They would not have to play the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks or Brooklyn Nets until a potential Conference Finals, but that is all dependent on this team making it that far. The Raptors cannot be ignored. They are a team that turned their season around in the second half of the year and appear to have the Sixers number.
Now that the playoffs are here, I am much less confident than I was a month or two ago. This team undoubtedly has the talent and ability to win an NBA Championship this season if they play up to their ceiling. However, if they continue to struggle as they did towards the end of the regular season, there is a very real chance that this team could be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. That would be an incomparable disappointment for a Philly sports team all things considered.
In a close playoff series, the stars shine brightest and can carry their teams to series victories and that is exactly what I expect Joel Embiid to do for the 76ers. I believe the Raptors matchup very well against us, but in the end, Joel will have a miraculous performance, maybe two, throughout this series and the 76ers will prevail. This time they won’t blow a game 7 on their home court.
Official pick: SIXERS IN SEVEN