ECSF: P1 | (2) Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers (3) | BOS 1-0

APettyJ · Post #81 » by **APettyJ** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:56 am

Sixers could have taken the first matchup against Boston in Philly at the beginning of the season, and had an epic collapse in the game London. In the meantime the team has grown by leaps and bounds. Even at full strength Embiid and Simmons in current form would be difficult for Boston to handle. Sixers are built to defeat teams like Iike Boston and are maturing faster than many thought they would. They could beat a healthy Boston.

eyeatoma · Post #82 » by **eyeatoma** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 6:12 am

Captain_Caveman wrote:
bebopdeluxe wrote:
Captain_Caveman wrote:At full strength, Philly would be lucky to take it to 5 vs Celts. Just a bad, bad matchup for them. Boston has more talent, more experience, homecourt and is a tougher and deeper team with a far better coach.

No Hayward, Boston in 5 or 6.

No Kyrie or Hayward, not much would surprise me. Either way, East as it stands is as weak as I have ever seen a conference, and I have been watching since like 1981. None of these East teams matter in any way, shape, or form.

Ha.

Your best season in the last 17 years wouldn't crack Boston's top 50 tho.

Facts.

Oh I'm so glad this is what we'll be getitng a lot of if the Sixers meet the Celtics in the playoffs... Countless attempts at denigrating another fanbase and a franchises' history. The sixers are the hottest team in the EAST right now. Like it or not, they will overpower Boston. Everything you talk about how we lost 3-1 in the season series is old news. The sixers since december have the best or second best record in the league. They are a completey different team. They played a lot of lottery teams during their winning streaks, but also beat playoffs teams like the Nuggets, Wolves, Pistons (fighting for the playoffs), Cavs, and Bucks. Ben Simmons is having his Neo from the matrix moment, where everything slows down and he realizes he's head and shoulders better than his competition. We have shooters coming out of our asses, and Joel Embiid is a DPOY candidate. His offesne will be shaky with the mask on, but it will be more than enough to have a significant impact against the Celtics

RB34 · Post #83 » by **RB34** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 6:37 am

If Boston do end up going through it will be a preview of the ECF for years to come.

Still a long way to go BOS-MIL looks like it’s going 7.

phifans · Post #84 » by **phifans** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 7:54 am

I just remember when last time people brings up regular season matchup they came up with a conclusion which tells them once Embiid's back there would be a guy called Whiteside who would crush Embiid and help Heats beat Philly ... :lol:

People never learn ... and if you think this is the same Sixers you guys beat several months ago then good luck :wink:

Edrees · Post #85 » by **Edrees** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:02 am

why are people even citing games played in london as meaning anything. lol. Have any of you experienced 12 hour jet lag?

tribulations · Post #86 » by **tribulations** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:07 am

infinite11285 wrote:Philly in 5.

qft

Wilfried · Post #87 » by **Wilfried** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:34 am

Captain_Caveman wrote:
SuperDario wrote:
Captain_Caveman wrote:At full strength, Philly would be lucky to take it to 5 vs Celts. Just a bad, bad matchup for them. Boston has more talent, more experience, homecourt and is a tougher and deeper team with a far better coach.

No Hayward, Boston in 5 or 6.

No Kyrie or Hayward, not much would surprise me. Either way, East as it stands is as weak as I have ever seen a conference, and I have been watching since like 1981. None of these East teams matter in any way, shape, or form.

You are sorely mistaken my friend.

About what? I'm not even predicting a Boston win in the current series, never mind one vs the Sixers, but we were 3-0 vs you this year before you beat us in the last one with no Kyrie or Hayward. Celts also won both preseason games, including one that you were down by 33 at one point, and shut down Simmons in all 6 of those games.

Different Sixers team. Different Simmons too.

But it's going to be a fun series that's for sure.

Anyways first things first. Boston still has to beat Milwaukee

Saint_Killa · Post #88 » by **Saint_Killa** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:35 am

Watch on YouTube

I thought this would fit here. Phenomenal job by Philly organisation.

OzzyAZ · Post #89 » by **OzzyAZ** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:27 am

SuperDario wrote:
DusterBuster wrote:Is it time to retire the term "The Process"? Seeing it in every headline for the Sixers is a bit much:

Never. We must always remember, and more importantly trust.

+1. Bryan Colangelo and his Process must be immortalized.

Kabookalu · Post #90 » by **Kabookalu** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:28 am

The Heat are a good (gritty, sometimes dirty) defensive team, but they're not on Boston's level. I doubt their shooters are going to have the freedom to get their shots off the way they were able to against Miami.

MkPhilly · Post #91 » by **MkPhilly** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:43 am

I'm not sure if the Sixers can beat healthy Boston with Hayward and Irving, that's very ambitious to say. But I'm sure the Sixers can beat this Boston. Boston has great defense but their offense is atrocious (even with Irving was bad). The Sixers were tested by one of the best perimeter defense in the league, the Miami Heat, and the Sixers did well.

Milwaukee is struggling with coach change and identity crisis. I think their team still haven't build strong identity.

Sixers would win in maximum six games, whoever they get in the second round.

yeahM8 · Post #92 » by **yeahM8** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:03 am

im loving the chat already. hopefully we can finish off the bucks. would be an amazing series.

cl2117 · Post #93 » by **cl2117** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:18 am

I think this will be a disappointing series in the end.

If the Bucks manage to come back and advance to the 2nd round, they're going to have the doors blown off of them. The Sixers have the starpower to match Giannis and are then a better team overall. It'd be too much for the Bucks. I'd take the Sixers in 5.

If Boston close it out, I think people are going to get incredibly hyped for the series, but it'll end very similar to the Heat series. C's are just too unhealthy to compete. I think defensively they'll be able to cause a lot of problems for Philly with Horford on Embiid and their long wings trying to contain Simmons. Offensively though they're going to struggle at times and don't have the kind of player to dig them out of the holes they're going to inevitably put themselves in (Kyrie/Hayward would be who I'd lean on in this type of series). If Belli/Ilya/Redick are hot they'll easily outpace Boston. If the C's can limit those roleplayers, I think the games will be closer but starpower, as it usually does in these cases, will win out.

I'd love to see a REALLY competitive series and see what each of these teams are made of, but I think the Sixers are in a good place to advance without being truly tested.

Fortunately I think any of Toronto/Indiana/Cleveland are better placed than MIL/BOS to push PHI to the limit.

FlatearthZorro · Post #94 » by **FlatearthZorro** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:55 am

Hello Brooklyn wrote:If its Boston, Embiid will feast on the Celtics.

They don't really have anyone to guard him.

It's funny cause he's had 1 good game against us out of 4. So has Simmons and we're the best team in the league at defending the 3 point line(Smart is back which helps too).

FlatearthZorro · Post #95 » by **FlatearthZorro** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:57 am

XDevilBoiX wrote:Bring on the Celtics, we beat the Patriots and we can beat the Celtics too.

You definitely have a shot with everything that has happened and the addition. If you don't beat us now and we're healthy next season it ain't happening. So you better hope you do it now IF we make it to the next round.

Madhouse · Post #96 » by **Madhouse** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:00 am

should be a good series as long as Boston advances.

FlatearthZorro · Post #97 » by **FlatearthZorro** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:01 am

APettyJ wrote:Sixers could have taken the first matchup against Boston in Philly at the beginning of the season, and had an epic collapse in the game London. In the meantime the team has grown by leaps and bounds. Even at full strength Embiid and Simmons in current form would be difficult for Boston to handle. Sixers are built to defeat teams like Iike Boston and are maturing faster than many thought they would. They could beat a healthy Boston.

I think you'd be surprised if we were at full strength.

Madhouse · Post #98 » by **Madhouse** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:22 am

FlatearthZorro wrote:
XDevilBoiX wrote:Bring on the Celtics, we beat the Patriots and we can beat the Celtics too.

You definitely have a shot with everything that has happened and the addition. If you don't beat us now and we're healthy next season it ain't happening. So you better hope you do it now IF we make it to the next round.

Impossible to know. Philly might add LeBron and Fultz, Simmons can shoot and win 68 games.

crows2 · Post #99 » by **crows2** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:28 am

FlatearthZorro wrote:
XDevilBoiX wrote:Bring on the Celtics, we beat the Patriots and we can beat the Celtics too.

You definitely have a shot with everything that has happened and the addition. If you don't beat us now and we're healthy next season it ain't happening. So you better hope you do it now IF we make it to the next round.

I think you're underestimating the natural improvement of Philly over the next few years. Obviously Boston will be far stronger than this season if fit but Philly should also be far better in future years than they are now. Their ceiling is insane.

hookshot199 · Post #100 » by **hookshot199** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:36 am

cl2117 wrote:I think this will be a disappointing series in the end.

If the Bucks manage to come back and advance to the 2nd round, they're going to have the doors blown off of them. The Sixers have the starpower to match Giannis and are then a better team overall. It'd be too much for the Bucks. I'd take the Sixers in 5.

If Boston close it out, I think people are going to get incredibly hyped for the series, but it'll end very similar to the Heat series. C's are just too unhealthy to compete. I think defensively they'll be able to cause a lot of problems for Philly with Horford on Embiid and their long wings trying to contain Simmons. Offensively though they're going to struggle at times and don't have the kind of player to dig them out of the holes they're going to inevitably put themselves in (Kyrie/Hayward would be who I'd lean on in this type of series). If Belli/Ilya/Redick are hot they'll easily outpace Boston. If the C's can limit those roleplayers, I think the games will be closer but starpower, as it usually does in these cases, will win out.

I'd love to see a REALLY competitive series and see what each of these teams are made of, but I think the Sixers are in a good place to advance without being truly tested.

Fortunately I think any of Toronto/Indiana/Cleveland are better placed than MIL/BOS to push PHI to the limit.

The sixth man (Garden fans) and home court advantage will be big. Brett Brown will have to be at the top of his game to stop the C's defensive runs. Brown's improvement as a coach is one of the big developments over the second half of the season. He's still not in the class of Brad Stevens, but the gap has narrowed.

I think the Sixers have potential to neutralize Horford, who's a weak rebounder. There's just too much size throughout the Sixers lineup.

But to win, Philly will have to play good perimeter defense to knock several percentage points off the C's 3-point shooting. And if the Sixers perimeter defense succeeds in driving the C's off the 3-point line, Embiid will create problems for Tatum and Brown in particular who are excellent at taking the ball to the hoop.

One point looking longer term: As good as Kyrie is, Rozier has played to levels I didn't think possible, plus he plays solid defense. I don't think there's been a net loss. I also don't think Rozier will be good coming off the bench when Kyrie comes back.

The great unknown is Hayward. Marcus Morris is shooting 3's at the same level as Hayward's career average: .368. So the net loss, in my opinion, has been less than expected.

Series Prediction