The Playoffs Thread

[Ferry Avenue]

Let's put this to rest and simply pay attention today to whether 1) Embiid plays well, and 2) regardless of that, whether he plays with any visible emotion of the kind he often displays, both regarding his own performance and with regard to exhorting his teammates.

If he looks significantly different than he did Monday, I'll be the first to admit that what I've been saying here is a non-sequitur. If however he looks like he did Monday, I'll be plenty worried about whether we're replaying the "cold and flu" playoff series of two years ago.

[76ciology]

What’s the common denominator of these loses against the Hawks?

Poor bench play.

G1 and G5, in both games its the Hawks bench that carried them. Their starters had negative +/- for both games.

In G4, Biid was burned out.

Its the same story over and over again. Poor bench play.

No, the answer is not about “back-up C” or finding a 6th microwave scorer like lou will.

It’s not.

It’s that we need someone as good as Embiid to play 1B with a bench unit. A 1B who can allow us to rest Embiid for a long duration. Maybe even sit him out for an entire playoff series. Morey knows this.

How are we dealing this? We’re letting Tobi be our 1B. He’s not that good. And it’s worse when we lose that extra fire power by starting Kork because of Green’s absence. But it doesnt really solve the problem.

Until then, everything will be dependent on Embiid. And it will get worse because Embiid’s health and athleticism is deteriorating.

This is something we have to address in the offseason.

[76ciology]

You know what reminds me of our squad now?

When we’re winning its the 2011 Mavs.

When we’re losing it’s the old LeBron Cavs.
Bron = Biid
Mo Will = Seth
Jamison = Tobi
Pavlovic = Korky
Eric Snow = Ben
D12 = Varejao

[76ciology]

Maybe we need to pair Tobi and Seth with the bench. This way the bench will be much better.

[Eyeamok]

Only good things can happen from here on in. If the 76ers comeback from 3-2 to win the series, they have shown some intestinal fortitude, it will be exciting and the fans on Realgm get treated to another series to bitch and moan about how poorly this team is constructed.

If the 76ers lose this series then all of their weaknesses will have been put on full display and making major moves is the only choice left if they want to maximize Embiid.

It's a win win.

People will ask how can they make major moves when they played so poorly. This is why Morey was hired and given a big salary and a big title. To figure things like this out.

You know as I write this maybe winning this series could be the worse thing that happens to this team. Because they can always say. "Hey we got it together and were beaten by a super team!" Ben will tell everyone he is working on his shot and the cycle will continue.

[76ciology]

Only good things can happen from here on in. If the 76ers comeback from 3-2 to win the series, they have shown some intestinal fortitude, it will be exciting and the fans on Realgm get treated to another series to bitch and moan about how poorly this team is constructed.

If the 76ers lose this series then all of their weaknesses will have been put on full display and making major moves is the only choice left if they want to maximize Embiid.

It's a win win.

People will ask how can they make major moves when they played so poorly. This is why Morey was hired and given a big salary and a big title. To figure things like this out.

You know as I write this maybe winning this series could be the worse thing that happens to this team. Because they can always say. "Hey we got it together and were beaten by a super team!" Ben will tell everyone he is working on his shot and the cycle will continue.

Agree.

It’s all about the process.

We win, we win.
We lose, we’ll just come back stronger.

[Skates]

The Hawks had a backcourt of Lou Williams and Trae Young out there for a while and none of guards attacked them on offense.

Seriously, how is that even possible.

[Arsenal]

The Hawks had a backcourt of Lou Williams and Trae Young out there for a while and none of guards attacked them on offense.

Seriously, how is that even possible.

Who will attack them? Ben? Thybulle? That's the problem with playing offensive zeros.

[76ciology]

The Hawks had a backcourt of Lou Williams and Trae Young out there for a while and none of guards attacked them on offense.

Seriously, how is that even possible.

Who will attack them? Ben? Thybulle? That's the problem with playing offensive zeros.

Run Seth-Tobi or Ben 2 man game then let Tobi or Ben attack the smaller guard

[76ciology]

I know teams usually lose when they’re down 3 games to 2. But that’s too generalize.

I think we can still this series against the Hawks. In 2 of our 3 loses, hawks starters were negatives on +/- and beat us because of our weak bench.

We just need a improve our bench. And my suggestion is, after sticking with the starters, we then stagger Tobi/Seth Biid/Ben pairing with the bench units.

What I mean is this unit which is 3rd in minutes and is actually +6 in NetRtg for the Hawks series:

D. Howard, .G. Hill, .T. Harris, .S. Milton, .M. Thybulle

We replace Milton or GHill with Seth instead.

[Murray_17]

I know teams usually lose when they’re down 3 games to 2. But that’s too generalize.

I think we can still this series against the Hawks. In 2 of our 3 loses, hawks starters were negatives on +/- and beat us because of our weak bench.

We just need a improve our bench. And my suggestion is, after sticking with the starters, we then stagger Tobi/Seth Biid/Ben pairing with the bench units.

What I mean is this unit which is 3rd in minutes and is actually +6 in NetRtg for the Hawks series:

D. Howard, .G. Hill, .T. Harris, .S. Milton, .M. Thybulle

We replace Milton or GHill with Seth instead.

You're asking for the thing we, and all analists, been screaming for Doc to do before the begining of the playoffs.

Why would he suddenly start tomorrow? you're just setting yourself for dissapointment, if we win tomorrow we're gonna win with all bench + Tobias line ups in heavy minutes

[sixers4real]

You know what reminds me of our squad now?

When we’re winning its the 2011 Mavs.

When we’re losing it’s the old LeBron Cavs.
Bron = Biid
Mo Will = Seth
Jamison = Tobi
Pavlovic = Korky
Eric Snow = Ben
D12 = Varejao

Finally, Ben Simmons is our Eric Snow of this era

[76ciology]

You know what reminds me of our squad now?

When we’re winning its the 2011 Mavs.

When we’re losing it’s the old LeBron Cavs.
Bron = Biid
Mo Will = Seth
Jamison = Tobi
Pavlovic = Korky
Eric Snow = Ben
D12 = Varejao

Finally, Ben Simmons is our Eric Snow of this era

Yes. He is perfect playing alongside a couple of high scoring combo guards.

Ben Simmons
Expectation: LeBron James
Reality: Eric Snow

[Negrodamus]

Who is our Boobie Gibson

[76ciology]

Quite free today so I watched the game again.

We basically just dominated from the tip to the end of the third. TNT’s 3rd quarter highlight of Seth smirking, Biid smirking then Dr.J blowing the kiss seems like a bad omen of things to come.

4th quarter. We started with our bench. What do u expect we’re up 20 something. But D12 made a handful of bone headed plays while Lou will got hot. Next thing you know, Hawks are just down like 10-12pts.

At that point Doc let our starters return to the game.

Our starters dominated. Biid even went for nail in the coffin dunks, twice, but missed.

It all came down to the Hawks getting quick baskets off drives and jumpers by Trae, Lou and Gallinari. While Biid look like he has gone cold and couldnt find his rhythm.

Then we tried to involve Tobi in our last few possession. He costed us several plays down the stretch.

-Pick and roll with Biid then throwing it to no one. Exact same play to win the game in G4
- Clogging Biid’s space for the iso where his man was able to challenge Biid’s jumper from behind. Even Tobi knew he made a mistake there and shook his head.
- Biid got doubled and found a wide open Tobi then getting blocked by Collins

Down the stretch the story is Hawks were able to score quickly while Tobi and Biid going brain dead. It’s as if running the offense through Seth then going through a stretch where their mindset was the game was over lead them to lose their rhythm on the game down the stretch.

[Ferry Avenue]

Quite free today so I watched the game again.

We basically just dominated from the tip to the end of the third. TNT’s 3rd quarter highlight of Seth smirking, Biid smirking then Dr.J blowing the kiss seems like a bad omen of things to come.

4th quarter. We started with our bench. What do u expect we’re up 20 something. But D12 made a handful of bone headed plays while Lou will got hot. Next thing you know, Hawks are just down like 10-12pts.

At that point Doc let our starters return to the game.

Our starters dominated. Biid even went for nail in the coffin dunks, twice, but missed.

It all came down to the Hawks getting quick baskets off drives and jumpers by Trae, Lou and Gallinari. While Biid look like he has gone cold and couldnt find his rhythm.

Then we tried to involve Tobi in our last few possession. He costed us several plays down the stretch.

-Pick and roll with Biid then throwing it to no one. Exact same play to win the game in G4
- Clogging Biid’s space for the iso where his man was able to challenge Biid’s jumper from behind. Even Tobi knew he made a mistake there and shook his head.
- Biid got doubled and found a wide open Tobi then getting blocked by Collins

Down the stretch the story is Hawks were able to score quickly while Tobi and Biid going brain dead. It’s as if running the offense through Seth then going through a stretch where their mindset was the game was over lead them to lose their rhythm on the game down the stretch.

The difference in that part of the game was that the Hawks had two players who could score off the dribble and did -- Young and Williams -- and the Sixers had none.

And that will be the difference in any playoff series that's hotly contested with this team.

[kuclas]

Quite free today so I watched the game again.

We basically just dominated from the tip to the end of the third. TNT’s 3rd quarter highlight of Seth smirking, Biid smirking then Dr.J blowing the kiss seems like a bad omen of things to come.

4th quarter. We started with our bench. What do u expect we’re up 20 something. But D12 made a handful of bone headed plays while Lou will got hot. Next thing you know, Hawks are just down like 10-12pts.

At that point Doc let our starters return to the game.

Our starters dominated. Biid even went for nail in the coffin dunks, twice, but missed.

It all came down to the Hawks getting quick baskets off drives and jumpers by Trae, Lou and Gallinari. While Biid look like he has gone cold and couldnt find his rhythm.

Then we tried to involve Tobi in our last few possession. He costed us several plays down the stretch.

-Pick and roll with Biid then throwing it to no one. Exact same play to win the game in G4
- Clogging Biid’s space for the iso where his man was able to challenge Biid’s jumper from behind. Even Tobi knew he made a mistake there and shook his head.
- Biid got doubled and found a wide open Tobi then getting blocked by Collins

Down the stretch the story is Hawks were able to score quickly while Tobi and Biid going brain dead. It’s as if running the offense through Seth then going through a stretch where their mindset was the game was over lead them to lose their rhythm on the game down the stretch.

The difference in that part of the game was that the Hawks had two players who could score off the dribble and did -- Young and Williams -- and the Sixers had none.

And that will be the difference in any playoff series that's hotly contested with this team.

Nba has become a rhythm game. Teams get hot and cold. Problem is hawks doing hack a Ben 102-94 throws off Sixers rhythm.

Than we have to take Ben out completely 104-98. It all snow balls when you don’t have your primary point guard to run half court sets after a time out.

We are a mess in the half court without a point guard. It becomes iso playing. And that’s not good offense. No ball movement. And hawks knew it. Easier to get stops

Ben free throw shooting has finally killed us.

[76ciology]

Quite free today so I watched the game again.

We basically just dominated from the tip to the end of the third. TNT’s 3rd quarter highlight of Seth smirking, Biid smirking then Dr.J blowing the kiss seems like a bad omen of things to come.

4th quarter. We started with our bench. What do u expect we’re up 20 something. But D12 made a handful of bone headed plays while Lou will got hot. Next thing you know, Hawks are just down like 10-12pts.

At that point Doc let our starters return to the game.

Our starters dominated. Biid even went for nail in the coffin dunks, twice, but missed.

It all came down to the Hawks getting quick baskets off drives and jumpers by Trae, Lou and Gallinari. While Biid look like he has gone cold and couldnt find his rhythm.

Then we tried to involve Tobi in our last few possession. He costed us several plays down the stretch.

-Pick and roll with Biid then throwing it to no one. Exact same play to win the game in G4
- Clogging Biid’s space for the iso where his man was able to challenge Biid’s jumper from behind. Even Tobi knew he made a mistake there and shook his head.
- Biid got doubled and found a wide open Tobi then getting blocked by Collins

Down the stretch the story is Hawks were able to score quickly while Tobi and Biid going brain dead. It’s as if running the offense through Seth then going through a stretch where their mindset was the game was over lead them to lose their rhythm on the game down the stretch.

The difference in that part of the game was that the Hawks had two players who could score off the dribble and did -- Young and Williams -- and the Sixers had none.

And that will be the difference in any playoff series that's hotly contested with this team.

Nba has become a rhythm game. Teams get hot and cold. Problem is hawks doing hack a Ben 102-94 throws off Sixers rhythm.

Than we have to take Ben out completely 104-98. It all snow balls when you don’t have your primary point guard to run half court sets after a time out.

We are a mess in the half court without a point guard. It becomes iso playing. And that’s not good offense. No ball movement. And hawks knew it. Easier to get stops

Ben free throw shooting has finally killed us.

True.

And you see we are quite efficient on offense. We’re the best scoring team and is shooting 51% from the field. Whenever Ben misses both freethrows, that’s as good as TO.

Im actually thinking that we could have sat Embiid to close the third, and just ride Seth’s hot shooting. Then when 4th starts, we could let Embiid do his thing.

Part is also embiid’s problem. He kinda f’d up when he was going for those dunks like he’s trying to nail the coffin of the Hawks. I feel it really exhausted him and also hurt him (he looked hurt). He started looking sloppy down the stretch. If you remember he even did a dangerous play when he dive straight to collins’ legs. I dont know what he was thinking at that point.

[Arsenal]

The Hawks had a backcourt of Lou Williams and Trae Young out there for a while and none of guards attacked them on offense.

Seriously, how is that even possible.

Who will attack them? Ben? Thybulle? That's the problem with playing offensive zeros.

Run Seth-Tobi or Ben 2 man game then let Tobi or Ben attack the smaller guard

We can't let Ben attack anyone because they'll just foul him and he'll miss 2 free throws.

There's an order of magnitude difference between shooting 60% vs. 30% FTs. The latter makes you completely USELESS on offense.

[76ciology]

Quite free today so I watched the game again.

We basically just dominated from the tip to the end of the third. TNT’s 3rd quarter highlight of Seth smirking, Biid smirking then Dr.J blowing the kiss seems like a bad omen of things to come.

4th quarter. We started with our bench. What do u expect we’re up 20 something. But D12 made a handful of bone headed plays while Lou will got hot. Next thing you know, Hawks are just down like 10-12pts.

At that point Doc let our starters return to the game.

Our starters dominated. Biid even went for nail in the coffin dunks, twice, but missed.

It all came down to the Hawks getting quick baskets off drives and jumpers by Trae, Lou and Gallinari. While Biid look like he has gone cold and couldnt find his rhythm.

Then we tried to involve Tobi in our last few possession. He costed us several plays down the stretch.

-Pick and roll with Biid then throwing it to no one. Exact same play to win the game in G4
- Clogging Biid’s space for the iso where his man was able to challenge Biid’s jumper from behind. Even Tobi knew he made a mistake there and shook his head.
- Biid got doubled and found a wide open Tobi then getting blocked by Collins

Down the stretch the story is Hawks were able to score quickly while Tobi and Biid going brain dead. It’s as if running the offense through Seth then going through a stretch where their mindset was the game was over lead them to lose their rhythm on the game down the stretch.

The difference in that part of the game was that the Hawks had two players who could score off the dribble and did -- Young and Williams -- and the Sixers had none.

And that will be the difference in any playoff series that's hotly contested with this team.

Agree but we should rather look how to be better with what we have right now than keep looking for something we dont have.

You dont see the Hawks complaining about Trae getting lost chasing Seth offscreen and how impossible it is to defend Biid.

Every team has its strengths and weakness. This is what we’re dealt with.

We have to figure out what was the difference between the first 36 mins of the game and the last 12 mins.

For me it’s more of an issue of pacing. Seth was too hot that we didnt have to rely on Tobi. But down the stretch when we had to rely on him, he was cold and out of rhythm. While on the other hand, Embiid was playing kamikaze like its the last game of his career. He was trying to dunk and make a statement. It really exhausted him and may have even hurt his leg. That on crunch time, he looked sluggish and immobile.

We keep saying that Hawks style of offense is much better than ours. But we’re number one in the playoffs in scoring and is shooting 51% from the field. We dominated the hawks for almost the entire game.

We’re right there. We’re doing something special. We just need to tighten it and learn how to pace it.