Sixers: What to watch for vs. Heat in second round

What to watch in Sixers-Heat: Philadelphia’s immediacy

The Sixers jumped out 3-0 against Toronto, then crumbled. The Raptors “stole” games four and five in convincing fashion, but beyond that, the Raptors probably should have won game three. The Sixers were a heroic Embiid half away from potentially being in real trouble. The Sixers ended up having that “higher gear” Doc Rivers alluded to, for Toronto played at its tempo for three games straight. Miami is a different ballgame — the Sixers can’t wait for Miami to punish them. They have to maintain that higher gear all the way through.

“Heat Culture” has been lampooned and overstated, but the general idea is truthful. The Heat have a winning culture, with winning players and a winning head coach. Erik Spoelstra is probably the best coach in the NBA, the Heat are well-connected on both sides of the ball, and you know they’ll come into the series prepared. Rivers put together a strong game plan for Philadelphia, but can he match Spoelstra adjustment-for-adjustment, and how well do the Sixers carry out his game plan? Those are the questions Philly will have to answer in round two.

It all starts, of course, with Joel Embiid. He has to be himself on both sides of the ball. The thumb injury is no joke, but if he lets it impact his activity and engagement, the Sixers are dead in the water. He’s the heart and soul of this team, and he will have to put up MVP numbers if Philadelphia wants to knock off Miami.

Then there’s the backcourt. James Harden and Tyrese Maxey both oscillated between good performances and poor performances in the first round. Often, they were either both good or both bad. It has to be far less balanced between the two against Miami. Harden might be too old and Maxey might be too young — we’ll just have to wait and see — but the talent is undeniable. The Sixers need that talent on full display in order to win games.