The Sixers Look Scary

[76ciology]

Harden/Maxey/Thybulle/Harris/Embiid is a strong lineup.
Sixers don't have a lot of depth on their bench though -- Green, Niang, Korkmaz?

Two guys who can be ready to contribute are Milton and WCS. Milton averaged like 14ppg on good %s during the playoff bubble. WCS has always been a plus defender and rebounder while he projects to be one of those Nets bigs who could be good at screen, roll and lobs.

Isaiah Joe, Bassey and Paul Reed are three young talents to watch. Joe is a deadeye shooter who was impressive during the preseason. Bassey is a lotto caliber pick big and averaged something like 13rpg and 3bpg per 36. I do think Bassey should be our back-up C. Then Reed is Gleague MVP or something, he has done a good job defending Giannis and I think there’s a good chance Reed will be our long term 4.

Then upcoming is Jaden Springer, who some projects to be Harden or Maxey’s likely long term partner because of his ability to defend and score.

Maybe we trade Maxey along with Tobi’s contract to free up a max cap space in the offseason. When that happen, we’d probably start Joe or Springer at the backcourt.

[MotownMadness]

Harden/Maxey/Thybulle/Harris/Embiid is a strong lineup.
Sixers don't have a lot of depth on their bench though -- Green, Niang, Korkmaz?

Two guys who can be ready to contribute are Milton and WCS. Milton averaged like 14ppg on good %s during the playoff bubble. WCS has always been a plus defender and rebounder while he projects to be one of those Nets bigs who could be good at screen, roll and lobs.

Isaiah Joe, Bassey and Paul Reed are three young talents to watch. Joe is a deadeye shooter who was impressive during the preseason. Bassey is a lotto caliber pick big and averaged something like 13rpg and 3bpg per 36. I do think Bassey should be our back-up C. Then Reed is Gleague MVP or something, he has done a good job defending Giannis and I think there’s a good chance Reed will be our long term 4.

Then upcoming is Jaden Springer, who some projects to be Harden or Maxey’s likely long term partner because of his ability to defend and score.

Maybe we trade Maxey along with Tobi’s contract to free up a max cap space in the offseason. When that happen, we’d probably start Joe or Springer at the backcourt.

Springer was my biggest draft sleeper, hopefully he turns out.

[76ciology]

Harden/Maxey/Thybulle/Harris/Embiid is a strong lineup.
Sixers don't have a lot of depth on their bench though -- Green, Niang, Korkmaz?

Two guys who can be ready to contribute are Milton and WCS. Milton averaged like 14ppg on good %s during the playoff bubble. WCS has always been a plus defender and rebounder while he projects to be one of those Nets bigs who could be good at screen, roll and lobs.

Isaiah Joe, Bassey and Paul Reed are three young talents to watch. Joe is a deadeye shooter who was impressive during the preseason. Bassey is a lotto caliber pick big and averaged something like 13rpg and 3bpg per 36. I do think Bassey should be our back-up C. Then Reed is Gleague MVP or something, he has done a good job defending Giannis and I think there’s a good chance Reed will be our long term 4.

Then upcoming is Jaden Springer, who some projects to be Harden or Maxey’s likely long term partner because of his ability to defend and score.

Maybe we trade Maxey along with Tobi’s contract to free up a max cap space in the offseason. When that happen, we’d probably start Joe or Springer at the backcourt.

Springer was my biggest draft sleeper, hopefully he turns out.

Im not too high on him, but I can see where the hype is coming from. His defense is NBA ready, as per what Morey said. The issue right now from him is how good can he be on offense against NBA caliber defense which he seems very raw during the preseason.

[-HB-]

BKN will be scarier.

[ChampionRed]

I mean…sixers always look pretty good. The question always is: Will Embiid be healthy for the playoffs?

The answer so far has always been no.

If they get a healthy Embiid for once, they have a shot.

[Sane]

They don't even need to make a trade, Harden's team is always underrated.

Maxey will go to the bench and Green will join the starting lineup even though he's not one of the 5 best players. With Embiid, Harden and Harris taking up a high % of shots and all scoring efficiently they only need the other two guys to support them. I predict Thybulle will set a lot of picks and Green will be your corner 3 guy. Expect Thybulle to shoot slightly better going forward, Harden has that effect on people.

Maxey then gets to go full attack mode off the bench and can still play in crunch time if needed. That gives them a respectable bench that gives the starters a legit rest. Embiid and Harden are going to get plenty of rest if needed. Maxey/Harris/Embiid and Maxey/Harden/Harris are formidable second units. No slight against Maxey, in fact the intent is to give him more minutes where he can be given higher usage which he deserves.

This is a 60+ win team in the East and I think they will probably win the East both regular season and ECF.

[Upperclass]

If CP3 isnt healthy.. There isnt a better team in the NBA than this version of the Sixers. Unstoppable on the wing.. unstoppable at the rim, numerous defenders and shooters and Maxey deployed in the full-on attack role that Westbrook should be in off the bench

[76ciology]

I think Sixers can be better.

Embiid got 3 good looks off the PnR and he dont know how to finish off the roll or is surprised to be open that he didnt take the jumper

Defense need to have specific defenders for Embiid or Harden, combine this with Maxey and Thybulle’s speed to leak out and it creates a lot of confusion on transition.

Sixers biggest achilles heel IMO is rebounding, size and defense, just as previous recent Morey squads with Harden. But the difference is, Sixers has Embiid so it may be different this time

[One Last Shot]

Morey of all people know how to enable Harden. There's a reason he's Top 5 in MVP voting for 6 out of 7 years before. If Harden & Embiid stays healthy, they have a decent shot to win it all. Harden/Embiid PnR will be deadly come Playoffs time.

[rocketsfan100]

Morey of all people know how to enable Harden. There's a reason he's Top 5 in MVP voting for 6 out of 7 years before. If Harden & Embiid stays healthy, they have a decent shot to win it all. Harden/Embiid PnR will be deadly come Playoffs time.

Harden was on pace to win last years mvp to before he destroyed his hamstring

[Kampuchea]

Harden/Maxey/Thybulle/Harris/Embiid is a strong lineup.
Sixers don't have a lot of depth on their bench though -- Green, Niang, Korkmaz?

Two guys who can be ready to contribute are Milton and WCS. Milton averaged like 14ppg on good %s during the playoff bubble. WCS has always been a plus defender and rebounder while he projects to be one of those Nets bigs who could be good at screen, roll and lobs.

Isaiah Joe, Bassey and Paul Reed are three young talents to watch. Joe is a deadeye shooter who was impressive during the preseason. Bassey is a lotto caliber pick big and averaged something like 13rpg and 3bpg per 36. I do think Bassey should be our back-up C. Then Reed is Gleague MVP or something, he has done a good job defending Giannis and I think there’s a good chance Reed will be our long term 4.

Then upcoming is Jaden Springer, who some projects to be Harden or Maxey’s likely long term partner because of his ability to defend and score.

Maybe we trade Maxey along with Tobi’s contract to free up a max cap space in the offseason. When that happen, we’d probably start Joe or Springer at the backcourt.

Yeah, the Sixers really lack depth. Bringing up guys like Milton and Willie Cauley Stein as "ready to contribute" proves it. WCS is about out of the NBA.

They need to reload in the offseason.

[CometGM]

The narrative comes from previous years with Embiid, although he did look better in the Toronto series vs Kawhi.

Harden has proven to be good for a couple of rounds but then reverts the deeper he goes into the post season.

It's not an out of this world narrative.

I also believe that Harden's crunch time actions will be key for a championship run. Unless he decides to take the bulls by the horns when things get tight I can't see them winning a championship. They do have the talent to take it though. Let's see how they handle it.

[CometGM]

They haven't shown yet that they can overcome the deer in the headlights look once things get really tight deeper in the playoffs.

Where does that narrative come from? I mean they literally took Toronto to game 7 and lost on an insane Kawhi shot so how was that deer in the headlights that series?

Last year they lost to Atlanta in 7 but fans forget that Embiid tore his meniscus in round 1 and was dragging his leg around for most of that Hawks series. That wasnt deer in headlights that was just having your MVP caliber guy playing at about 60% health.

The narrative comes from previous years with Embiid, although he did look better in the Toronto series vs Kawhi.

Harden has proven to be good for a couple of rounds but then reverts the deeper he goes into the post season.

It's not an out of this world narrative.

I also believe that Harden's crunch time actions will be key for a championship run. Unless he decides to take the bulls by the horns when things get tight I can't see them winning a championship. They do have the talent to take it though. Let's see how they handle it.

[NoDopeOnSundays]

The narrative comes from previous years with Embiid, although he did look better in the Toronto series vs Kawhi.

Harden has proven to be good for a couple of rounds but then reverts the deeper he goes into the post season.

It's not an out of this world narrative.

I also believe that Harden's crunch time actions will be key for a championship run. Unless he decides to take the bulls by the horns when things get tight I can't see them winning a championship. They do have the talent to take it though. Let's see how they handle it.

That narrative may be true of the past, but Harden has never played with someone that can play off him like Embiid can, and Embiid has never played with a 3 level scorer. I think they're going to be the best duo in the league pretty easily because of the fact you can incorporate them into like 50% of their teams offense when they're not scoring in isolation.

The pick and roll or pop option with them is going to be a major problem, I think the Heat and Bucks are the only teams that have any shot of defending it. You're going to need a big that can guard in space, and a wing defender strong enough to give a little resistance when Embiid catches it on the roll.

[king_james_vers]

Harden/Maxey/Thybulle/Harris/Embiid is a strong lineup.
Sixers don't have a lot of depth on their bench though -- Green, Niang, Korkmaz?

Two guys who can be ready to contribute are Milton and WCS. Milton averaged like 14ppg on good %s during the playoff bubble. WCS has always been a plus defender and rebounder while he projects to be one of those Nets bigs who could be good at screen, roll and lobs.

Isaiah Joe, Bassey and Paul Reed are three young talents to watch. Joe is a deadeye shooter who was impressive during the preseason. Bassey is a lotto caliber pick big and averaged something like 13rpg and 3bpg per 36. I do think Bassey should be our back-up C. Then Reed is Gleague MVP or something, he has done a good job defending Giannis and I think there’s a good chance Reed will be our long term 4.

Then upcoming is Jaden Springer, who some projects to be Harden or Maxey’s likely long term partner because of his ability to defend and score.

Maybe we trade Maxey along with Tobi’s contract to free up a max cap space in the offseason. When that happen, we’d probably start Joe or Springer at the backcourt.

Yeah, the Sixers really lack depth. Bringing up guys like Milton and Willie Cauley Stein as "ready to contribute" proves it. WCS is about out of the NBA.

They need to reload in the offseason.

What they have working in their favor is that they've established themselves as one of the more lucrative destinations in the league. They're now near the top of the line in vet min/buyout market situations. In fact, a lack of depth helps in that regard, because they can offer more playing time.

[HotelVitale]

The narrative comes from previous years with Embiid, although he did look better in the Toronto series vs Kawhi.

I mean…sixers always look pretty good. The question always is: Will Embiid be healthy for the playoffs? The answer so far has always been no. If they get a healthy Embiid for once, they have a shot.

Pasting these two but there's been at least a dozen other mentions in this thread of Embiid struggling in the PO that don't seem based in any facts. Embiid has been awesome in the PO the last couple years when it's mattered--he averaged 30/13/4 against the Hawks last year, and 30/12 against the Celtics the year before that. Both times on about 60% TS too.

Not saying he's been an all-time great hero or anything--he obviously hasn't been able to will his team to victory--but there simply isn't a record of Embiid struggling in the PO. He had one shaky series against the Raptors, but that was a) in his 2nd season b) against M Gasol and an insane Raptors defense and c) a series he still made a huge difference in. Besides that he's been even better in the PO than the RS.

Is this just about him not being an amazing closer?

[ConSarnit]

I think an added over looked benefit could be the reduction in Embiid's offensive usage. With Harden, Maxey and Harris all able to handle a reasonable scoring role it should allow Embiid to expend less energy on offense and up his defensive presence. Scoring shouldn't be an issue for PHI but they are going to need Embiid to be DPOY+ level once the playoffs start if they are true contenders.

[bebopdeluxe]

The narrative comes from previous years with Embiid, although he did look better in the Toronto series vs Kawhi.

I mean…sixers always look pretty good. The question always is: Will Embiid be healthy for the playoffs? The answer so far has always been no. If they get a healthy Embiid for once, they have a shot.

Pasting these two but there's been at least a dozen other mentions in this thread of Embiid struggling in the PO that don't seem based in any facts. Embiid has been awesome in the PO the last couple years when it's mattered--he averaged 30/13/4 against the Hawks last year, and 30/12 against the Celtics the year before that. Both times on about 60% TS too.

Not saying he's been an all-time great hero or anything--he obviously hasn't been able to will his team to victory--but there simply isn't a record of Embiid struggling in the PO. He had one shaky series against the Raptors, but that was a) in his 2nd season b) against M Gasol and an insane Raptors defense and c) a series he still made a huge difference in. Besides that he's been even better in the PO than the RS.

Is this just about him not being an amazing closer?

Embiid was +90 in the series against the Raptors. Even if his "counting" numbers were down, he clearly had a positive impact on the game when he was in there. In that series, the Sixers were THIRTEEN POINTS BETTER PER GAME than the Raptors when Embiid was on the floor. He played FORTY FIVE MINUTES in game 7, and in the three minutes he did not play, the Sixers were MINUS ELEVEN.

Spin THAT, haters.

[ConSarnit]

The narrative comes from previous years with Embiid, although he did look better in the Toronto series vs Kawhi.

I mean…sixers always look pretty good. The question always is: Will Embiid be healthy for the playoffs? The answer so far has always been no. If they get a healthy Embiid for once, they have a shot.

Pasting these two but there's been at least a dozen other mentions in this thread of Embiid struggling in the PO that don't seem based in any facts. Embiid has been awesome in the PO the last couple years when it's mattered--he averaged 30/13/4 against the Hawks last year, and 30/12 against the Celtics the year before that. Both times on about 60% TS too.

Not saying he's been an all-time great hero or anything--he obviously hasn't been able to will his team to victory--but there simply isn't a record of Embiid struggling in the PO. He had one shaky series against the Raptors, but that was a) in his 2nd season b) against M Gasol and an insane Raptors defense and c) a series he still made a huge difference in. Besides that he's been even better in the PO than the RS.

Is this just about him not being an amazing closer?

People undersell what he did in that Raptors series. I've never seen a guy shut off the rim as well he did. Basically the entire team was afraid to attack the rim. The Raptors scraped by because we had a mid-range killer in Kawhi (basically the only answer to an elite drop back rim protector) and the Sixers tanked with Embiid sat.

If Embiid can be at that level defensively he only has to be "ok" offensively to be a top 5 playoff performer.

[Hook_Em]

Nobody’s gonna shed a tear for the Brooklyn Nets but Harden showing up to Philly like he had just completed a 10-day water fast is tough. That’s gotta sting for Nets players and coaches. I went to a Nets game in Sacramento and Harden looked like a right tackle.