Boston in the 2nd round. How do the 76ers win the series?

[Jailblazers7]

Maxey’s improvement as an on-ball defender makes this match up less problematic. He’s definitely stronger this year and can’t get bullied quite as easily by Brown & Tatum.

Celtics have a weak frontline now that Horford & Timelord are diminished by age & injury. That’s a huge problem against a PnR heavy team that’s gonna pick away at that issue.

[Mik317]

Can someone explain to me why we’re a bad match-up for the Celtics? I’ll be open minded I promise.

They have long shot creating wings. Stretch bigs to pull out our rim protectors. And generally they are very consistent on closing out on shooters.

We lack long defenders. Have no secondary rim protection. And our shooters need a lot of space to let it fly..

I am very hyped by last nights win but it took a time machine performance by Harden and for the Celtics for some reason to go to Smart in the clutch for us to pull out a win.... not sure why people are popping bottles already lol.

THAT BEING SAID their coach might be too green/bad and could even the odds even w/ a zombie Bid....as I am not even sure what we did differently in the second half for them to stop driving to the rim or looking for cutters. This lack of closing apparently has been a thing all season for them...which as we know is very much a coaching thing

BUT on paper that roster is well equipped to shut us down and score on our defensive scheme IMO.

Game isn't played on paper tho

[M2J]

Philly is setup well to defend Tatum and Brown IMO. The bad matchup comes when they have to contend with brogdon and White too. Also Al gets hot and draws out Joel with the 5 out. They thrive on dribble penetration and transition offense.... Philly struggles there.

Philly has shown advantages with Joel and James in one on one situations, but it's not a fluid and team inclusive a Boston's ability to penetrate and setup their whole team.

However, if Boston's not going to use their advantage of having the ability to play 2 way players all game long, and are going to slow Tobi and Maxey to go off too.... Then you have a ball game. If their coach doesn't utilize their advantages correctly by having those offensive threats all on the floor.... Again ball game

[M2J]

So it was speculated that Joel could return in game 2. Would you let this win mean he waits until Philly loses, or bring him back regardless?


If he can play even just a little bit I'll bring him back in game 2. I might even start Reed and try to get 15 to 25 minutes of Jo for defense and to be a decoy offensively. Insert him to stop the bleeding sometimes. Just make him available, maybe you don't play him at all.

[Ferry Avenue]

So it was speculated that Joel could return in game 2. Would you let this win mean he waits until Philly loses, or bring him back regardless?


If he can play even just a little bit I'll bring him back in game 2. I might even start Reed and try to get 15 to 25 minutes of Jo for defense and to be a decoy offensively. Insert him to stop the bleeding sometimes. Just make him available, maybe you don't play him at all.

I would play him based on what I would've done had the team lost last night and been down 0-1. The last thing you want to do is give your own team the impression that you're "coasting," and you certainly don't want to insult the opposing team by giving them the message that the series is in the bag and you can afford to rest your best player if he would've otherwise played.

[Eyeamok]

So it was speculated that Joel could return in game 2. Would you let this win mean he waits until Philly loses, or bring him back regardless?


If he can play even just a little bit I'll bring him back in game 2. I might even start Reed and try to get 15 to 25 minutes of Jo for defense and to be a decoy offensively. Insert him to stop the bleeding sometimes. Just make him available, maybe you don't play him at all.

I've been very pessimistic about the 76ers chances to beat the Celtics. Even now, it's just one game and Boston is a very good team. But with that being said I'm not bringing back Joel till the Eastern Conference Finals.

[Mik317]

It is an interesting question tho.

I feel like the Bucks **** up by holding Giannis out in Gmae 3(?) against the Heat after they blew them out and it made it harder to reimplement him.

Then again Giannis doesn't go sadboi hours like a Hurt Biid does. If Biid comes back and plays like a huge Paul Reed as Harden remains the scorer Harden then sure...I just feel like he'd come back and immediately the offense stagnates into forcing him the ball. It would suck all the energy out if he comes back and we immediately lose (probably in a big way too to be honest; the Celtics should be pissed game 2 if they are truly about that life lol) BUT and I don't say this often...Ferry has a point that it can be taken as a diss to hold him out and have an even worse effect.

This is one of those things that the more armchair phycology part of sports comes into play

[mjkvol]

I think it 100% depends on Embiid's health. All the psycho mumbo-jumbo is just that - these guys are professionals, and the two teams know each other inside-out, so there's no "insulting" them or giving them any false ideas.

As for the Sixers, does anyone seriously believe that the team would take it as they are "coasting" if the decision is to sit Embiid again? Please. If it's my decision, I'm erring on the side of caution, as I'd rather him get the extra couple of days than possibly pushing it when the Sixers have already broken serve. It's likely to be a long series, and we need the best Embiid we can get over those last 4-5 games.

[Ferry Avenue]

There is no evidence I'm aware of that when people get paid to do something -- i.e., they become professionals -- they stop being human and become "machines" and stop being affected or motivated emotionally by bulletin board-type material. Look no further than the LeBron James/Dillon Brooks banter in this year's playoffs for evidence of how these players function mentally/emotionally, despite being professionals. Anything a player experiences as a jab at his pride or manhood is very likely to spur elevated emotionality and motivation. These guys take great pride in what they do.

You go out and tell the Boston Celtics in essence "we think we got you beat already, so we can afford to sit our best player in a game even though he's healthy enough to play," and I'll guarantee you they go out there and whip your ass in that game, if not the rest of the series.

[Arsenal]

Depends on the likelihood of reinjury or further injury. If that is virtually zero then he plays. If not, he sits.

[mjkvol]

You go out and tell the Boston Celtics in essence "we think we got you beat already, so we can afford to sit our best player in a game even though he's healthy enough to play," and I'll guarantee you they go out there and whip your ass in that game, if not the rest of the series.

They would be sitting Embiid because having won a road game and secured home advantage, the Sixers would justifiably want as healthy an Embiid as they can have for the remaining five games. Your silly amateur psychology plays zero part in this - if the Celtics need that for motivation after losing game 1 in their building then they don't belong at this level of competition. The fact is that they beat Boston without Embiid, and who's to say they can't beat them again?

[Jailblazers7]

It would be amazing to beat Boston again without Embiid to demoralize them and go up 2-0. I legitimately think it’s possible because everyone is rolling at the moment.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

You definitely do not play Embiid in game 2. Again, if we're going to beat Boston, it's going to be on the backs of James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris. You don't put Embiid out there with the potential to tear a ligament like an ACL. If he's not 100% he doesn't need to go. I can only imagine a 30 year old Embiid rehabbing an ACL tear for two years. It would be a colossal nightmare and it would send the franchise into a rebuild. It would also put an end to his prime as a player! Those of you beating your chest and telling him to get out there are totally ignorant to the potential risk and just how crushing it would be, should another Kevin Durant situation happen again. Durant in the 2019 Finals is the PRIME example of why you don't take that kind of gamble.

[Ferry Avenue]

It would be amazing to beat Boston again without Embiid to demoralize them and go up 2-0. I legitimately think it’s possible because everyone is rolling at the moment.

They are indeed rolling at the moment, and they're rolling in large part because nobody's giving them a shot of winning the series without Embiid. They were 10-point underdogs in game one for example, a margin rarely seen in a second-round NBA playoff game.

You sit Embiid when he's healthy enough to play and you immediately reverse that dynamic. At that point you're no longer the underdog in a David and Goliath scenario -- you're instead portraying yourselves as Goliath and sending the opposition the message you got them beaten already.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

It would be amazing to beat Boston again without Embiid to demoralize them and go up 2-0. I legitimately think it’s possible because everyone is rolling at the moment.

I think it's definitely possible, but our guys are going to have to stay hot and Boston is going to have to continue to make their mistakes. I know that's an obvious take, but I think it's that simple. Boston is going to be focused, and very motivated for game 2. They are going once again throw their best punches at us right away. If we can withstand, and keep things close when the fourth quarter starts, then I think it can happen. One thing we've proven this season over and over is how good we are the fourth quarter of games. That hasn't changed in the playoffs. So far, we've won every fourth quarter we've played. We can do it again.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

It would be amazing to beat Boston again without Embiid to demoralize them and go up 2-0. I legitimately think it’s possible because everyone is rolling at the moment.

They are indeed rolling at the moment, and they're rolling in large part because nobody's giving them a shot of winning the series without Embiid. They were 10-point underdogs in game one for example, a margin rarely seen in a second-round NBA playoff game.

You sit Embiid when he's healthy enough to play and you immediately reverse that dynamic. At that point you're no longer the underdog in a David and Goliath scenario -- you're instead portraying yourselves as Goliath and sending the opposition the message you got them beaten already.

Embiid isn't currently healthy enough to play. This isn't some cryptic form of gamesmanship on the part of Rivers and the Sixers. We aren't holding Embiid out to get a psychological edge on the Celtics. HE HAS A SPRAINED LIGAMENT! It can get worse if he plays on that sprained ligament. It can potentially lead to him shredding his entire knee. What part of that are you not understanding?

[Ferry Avenue]

It would be amazing to beat Boston again without Embiid to demoralize them and go up 2-0. I legitimately think it’s possible because everyone is rolling at the moment.

They are indeed rolling at the moment, and they're rolling in large part because nobody's giving them a shot of winning the series without Embiid. They were 10-point underdogs in game one for example, a margin rarely seen in a second-round NBA playoff game.

You sit Embiid when he's healthy enough to play and you immediately reverse that dynamic. At that point you're no longer the underdog in a David and Goliath scenario -- you're instead portraying yourselves as Goliath and sending the opposition the message you got them beaten already.

Embiid isn't currently healthy enough to play. This isn't some cryptic form of gamesmanship on the part of Rivers and the Sixers. We aren't holding Embiid out to get a psychological edge on the Celtics. HE HAS A SPRAINED LIGAMENT! It can get worse if he plays on that sprained ligament. It can potentially lead to him shredding his entire knee. What part of that are you not understanding?

Again, my approach would be to play him or not play him as though the Sixers are down 0-1 in the series. You play or don't play Embiid entirely as a function of his health status, not as a function of being up 1-0.

Right now this team is generating tons of focus and momentum by virtue of being expected to lose the series. You sit Embiid when he's healthy enough to play and start cruising along like "we got this" and all that disintegrates immediately. It sends the wrong message both to your own team and to the opposing one.

[Bum Adebayo]

The problem is that Embiid is just not healthy, at all, 1-0 or not. Besides, when did him playing with nagging injuries in a playoffs series turn into a good idea? I don't ever recall winning a series with a hobbled Embiid.

[76Love]

Sit Embiid game 2 and have him come out to a crazy ass Wells Fargo Center Friday night with his new MVP in hand and drop 50

[Sixerscan]

So it was speculated that Joel could return in game 2. Would you let this win mean he waits until Philly loses, or bring him back regardless?


If he can play even just a little bit I'll bring him back in game 2. I might even start Reed and try to get 15 to 25 minutes of Jo for defense and to be a decoy offensively. Insert him to stop the bleeding sometimes. Just make him available, maybe you don't play him at all.

I would play him based on what I would've done had the team lost last night and been down 0-1. The last thing you want to do is give your own team the impression that you're "coasting," and you certainly don't want to insult the opposing team by giving them the message that the series is in the bag and you can afford to rest your best player if he would've otherwise played.

This is all irrelevant because there’s no way he’s actually 100% healthy, and it’s more a question of do you want to put him out there when he’s as recovered as he is tomorrow versus on Friday.