The Philadelphia 76ers have made a clear commitment to building a team that can compete with the 2024 NBA champion Boston Celtics. It's an understandable approach considering Boston and Philadelphia play in the same division, and the road to a title typically goes through the titleholders.
In order to not only meet but defeat the Celtics in the playoffs, however, Philadelphia is going to need to find an answer for Boston's X-Factor: Former 76ers guard Jrue Holiday.
Boston and Philadelphia have met in the playoffs on 22 separate occasions, including three times since 2018. Unfortunately, the 76ers haven't defeated the Celtics in a postseason series since 1982—and there have been six chances to end that drought.
While Philadelphia ended the 2023-24 season by losing in the first round for the first time since 2019-20, Boston won its first title since 2007-08.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have garnered earned praise for the Celtics' success, but the trade for Holiday proved to be the final push the team needed to get over the hump. Holiday's on-ball defense, championship experience, and clutch scoring made him the perfect fit in a backcourt of glue guys.
If the 76ers are going to overcome their longstanding foes and end the lopsided nature of the rivalry, then they'll need to come up with an answer for their former All-Star.
76ers defeating the Celtics will require neutralizing Jrue Holiday
Philadelphia signed Paul George and Caleb Martin in an effort to counter Brown and Tatum. Both George and Martin rank among the best defensive forwards in the NBA, with the latter proving during his tenure with the Miami Heat that he's capable of producing positive results against Boston's stars.
For that matter, Joel Embiid should be able to win the interior battle against either Al Horford or Kristaps Porzingis, leaving a simple question in Philadelphia: Can they answer Holiday?
Holiday and Derrick White form a unique backcourt that primarily thrives on defense, but consistently steps up in crucial moments on offense. It was a key element of Boston's championship-winning formula, with Holiday offering a specific skill set that Boston had arguably been missing.
When Brown and Tatum were struggling to generate offense, Holiday provided what 76ers fans are well aware of: The uncanny ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor, including tremendous isolation skill and instincts as a scorer and facilitator.
Holiday dropped 28 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, five offensive boards, and three steals to help Boston escape with a 133-128 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. He later dropped 26 points and 11 rebounds in a 105-98 victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
He was excellent throughout the playoffs, but those two games offer insight into what the 76ers need: Players beyond the go-to scorers who can take over in key spots.
Some would argue that Philadelphia's advantage is that it has a Big Three with Embiid, George, and Maxey—thus providing three incredible scoring options. There will be playoff games during which members of the Big Three are kept in check, however, and that's where depth will become a factor.
The roster is flush with talent, but if the 76ers are finally going to defeat the Celtics in the Playoffs, they'll need an impact player who can steady the ship when the featured stars are unable to.