The Philadelphia 76ers saw their rivalry with the Boston Celtics further intensify this offseason after the latter shipped All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown to the former in one of the most unprecedented blockbuster trades in history. But aside from that infusion of a richer narrative flair, it is worth noting that the 76ers arguably hold the edge over their biggest rivals at this juncture, especially in view of the fact that Brown brings with him a wealth of knowledge about how his former squad operates.
Brown spent 10 seasons in Boston, qualifying for the postseason in all but one campaign. He was the Finals MVP when they won the title a couple of years ago, and that degree of corporate knowledge will definitely come in handy when the 76ers inevitably face the Celtics in high-stakes games. After all, as a division rival, Philly will take on Boston at least four times in the upcoming season.
76ers gain a brand new edge thanks to Jaylen Brown knowing the Celtics too well
Philadelphia undoubtedly packs a bigger punch than Boston right now from a purely talent standpoint, but the Celtics cannot just be glossed over as a force in the Eastern Conference. They still have a very solid system on both ends predicated on volume three-point shooting and switch-heavy defense. With Jayson Tatum and Paul George leading them, they will still likely be in the running for East supremacy.
That is exactly where Brown's extreme familiarity with the Celtics stands to make a huge difference. He has a vivid idea of what his former team likes to do on the floor on both ends from set plays and player tendencies. Having been Tatum's partner for nearly a decade, he also knows how the All-Star approaches the game.
With the 76ers coming back from being down 3-1 and eliminating the Celtics during their last postseason run, the latter will be antsy to exact revenge on their rivals. The added element that is Jaylen Brown will also make them eager to beat Philly and prove to everyone that they made the right decision.
However, when this historic rivalry comes up next season, the Celtics simply have no way of countering the advantage that Brown gives the 76ers. Unless they scrap everything they have built up to this point, the All-Star's wealth of knowledge about his former team will be something that Philly will gladly exploit as much as possible.
Add us as a preferred source on Google