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

[TheNewEra]

Philly in 5 or 6. The improved bench depth has made them a better team than the one in the regular season. They have shooters all over the floor and have a strong set rotation that they rely on to win games.

There’s no Jason Terry or Tony Snell eating up minutes with no production like the Bucks. You also don’t have a team searching for big man answers between Thon Maker and John Henson during a series. Simmons plays within himself and knows how to pick his spots while being a better playmaker than Greek Freak. 76ers won’t have a Eric Bledsoe forcing it while looking for his shot it’s just a night and day team compared to the Bucks. For as well as Middleton played 6ers just have to many weapons to fall off in this matchup with Jaylen still being doubtful.

[Raps in 4]

The Sixers are a good team, and I picked them to win the series easily. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. A healthy Celtics team would mop the floor with them.

The Sixers are playing a team missing their 2 best players. Sixers fans need to imagine their own roster without Simmons and Embiid.

[GeorgeMarcus]

Literally no one agrees with this other than 76ers fans.

Malone + Irving is great. But Bird was better than Irving. And Parish is good enough to match up with Malone. McHale would have ruined that team. Like whatever he wanted. And what would they have done with Walton? The Celtics we're bigger at pretty much every position and had superior talent to go along with a top 5 player of all time.

That was not the real showtime Lakers that you guys beat. The Celtics and Lakers were great in 83 too...but neither team peaked at that point yet. You guys had your one year during a decade that LA and Boston doninated.

The 86 Celtics are the best ever. Certainly better than some little Philly team

I was going to respond until I read that last line.

Wasn't a good start when you referred to Dr J as "Irving".

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/865311-10-greatest-nba-teams-of-all-time
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/ct-best-nba-teams-spt-0609-20170608-story.html
http://www.espn.com/nba/photos/gallery/_/id/13097489/image/19/2-1986-boston-celtics-top-20-greatest-nba-teams-ever
https://m.ranker.com/list/best-single-season-nba-teams/loganrapp
https://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/the-7-best-nba-teams-of-all-time.html/?a=viewall
http://www.nba.com/history/toptenteams_index.html
https://herosports.com/nba/top-10-nba-teams-of-all-time-bulls-celtics-lakers-warriors-76ers-michael-jordan-bkbk
http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2017/02/14/top-5-greatest-nba-teams-of-all-time/
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-best-nba-teams-of-all-time-according-to-elo/
https://nypost.com/2016/06/11/the-best-nba-team-ever-didnt-have-michael-jordan-or-curry/
https://nypost.com/2016/06/11/the-post-ranks-best-nba-teams-ever-more-mj-than-curry-love/
http://newarena.com/nba/ranked-the-25-greatest-teams-in-nba-history/16/

Top results from google search of “greatest nba teams ever”
Not one ranked ANY Phily teams over the 85-86 Celtics.
I challenge you to find me any non PHI sources that put the 83 sixers over the 85 Celtics.

http://thehoopdoctors.com/2009/09/10-greatest-nba-champions-2-83-sixers/ That wasn't very hard.

[Baller1234a]

I was going to respond until I read that last line.

Wasn't a good start when you referred to Dr J as "Irving".

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/865311-10-greatest-nba-teams-of-all-time
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/ct-best-nba-teams-spt-0609-20170608-story.html
http://www.espn.com/nba/photos/gallery/_/id/13097489/image/19/2-1986-boston-celtics-top-20-greatest-nba-teams-ever
https://m.ranker.com/list/best-single-season-nba-teams/loganrapp
https://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/the-7-best-nba-teams-of-all-time.html/?a=viewall
http://www.nba.com/history/toptenteams_index.html
https://herosports.com/nba/top-10-nba-teams-of-all-time-bulls-celtics-lakers-warriors-76ers-michael-jordan-bkbk
http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2017/02/14/top-5-greatest-nba-teams-of-all-time/
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-best-nba-teams-of-all-time-according-to-elo/
https://nypost.com/2016/06/11/the-best-nba-team-ever-didnt-have-michael-jordan-or-curry/
https://nypost.com/2016/06/11/the-post-ranks-best-nba-teams-ever-more-mj-than-curry-love/
http://newarena.com/nba/ranked-the-25-greatest-teams-in-nba-history/16/

Top results from google search of “greatest nba teams ever”
Not one ranked ANY Phily teams over the 85-86 Celtics.
I challenge you to find me any non PHI sources that put the 83 sixers over the 85 Celtics.

http://thehoopdoctors.com/2009/09/10-greatest-nba-champions-2-83-sixers/ That wasn't very hard.

Allen Moll is an avid NBA and College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.

He lives in Pennsylvania lol. First 2 lines. Like I said “non sixers” source

http://lehighvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/lehigh-valley-map.jpg
Pretty close to PHI

[michaelm]

You’d think after seeing the Thunder draft 3 MVPs and win absolutely nothing, with the core breaking up that Philly fans would be wary of getting too far ahead of themselves. But no, all I’m seeing is a thread full of ridiculous takes that involve **** on Boston’s talented roster.

You’ve got a good roster for now and the future, we get it. But making comments that you’re going to dominate the NBA etc is just completely laughable. Where do you think the Warriors are going to go?

You should win this series but I give us a fighting chance but I would not be shocked at all if things go horribly wrong for us and we get destroyed.

Long-term yes you’ve got Embiid and Simmons but there’s plenty examples of great teams winning titles without necessarily having generational talents. You can **** on Hayward and Irving all you want and say they’re not superstar talents but they don’t need to be. No idea why you’re so dismissive of Tatum and Brown’s potential either. Are they going to be top 5 talents, probably not but who knows? It was only last year people including our own fans were booing us for drafting Jaylen Brown. Then we were bashed for trading down to get Tatum and there were many calling him another Rudy Gay etc.

Show some **** respect for a good team that has fought adversity all year. If we lose so be it. We gave it our all and the future is bright. Only a fool would say otherwise.

Agree the Celtics should be respected for the reasons you give and have good future prospects, but the Sixers fans are surely also allowed to enjoy their success after years of bad teams, if successful they prove to be, without caveats which can be applied to pretty much anything in life if you choose to do so. Sure excessive triumphalism in the circumstances is not warranted, but I have a feeling they have copped their share from Celtics fans over the years and even earlier this season, and injuries are part of the game and the Celtics current injury problems literally have nothing to do with the Sixers.

[GeorgeMarcus]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/865311-10-greatest-nba-teams-of-all-time
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/ct-best-nba-teams-spt-0609-20170608-story.html
http://www.espn.com/nba/photos/gallery/_/id/13097489/image/19/2-1986-boston-celtics-top-20-greatest-nba-teams-ever
https://m.ranker.com/list/best-single-season-nba-teams/loganrapp
https://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/the-7-best-nba-teams-of-all-time.html/?a=viewall
http://www.nba.com/history/toptenteams_index.html
https://herosports.com/nba/top-10-nba-teams-of-all-time-bulls-celtics-lakers-warriors-76ers-michael-jordan-bkbk
http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2017/02/14/top-5-greatest-nba-teams-of-all-time/
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-best-nba-teams-of-all-time-according-to-elo/
https://nypost.com/2016/06/11/the-best-nba-team-ever-didnt-have-michael-jordan-or-curry/
https://nypost.com/2016/06/11/the-post-ranks-best-nba-teams-ever-more-mj-than-curry-love/
http://newarena.com/nba/ranked-the-25-greatest-teams-in-nba-history/16/

Top results from google search of “greatest nba teams ever”
Not one ranked ANY Phily teams over the 85-86 Celtics.
I challenge you to find me any non PHI sources that put the 83 sixers over the 85 Celtics.

http://thehoopdoctors.com/2009/09/10-greatest-nba-champions-2-83-sixers/ That wasn't very hard.

Allen Moll is an avid NBA and College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.

He lives in Pennsylvania lol. First 2 lines. Like I said “non sixers” source

http://lehighvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/lehigh-valley-map.jpg
Pretty close to PHI

You said a non PHI source, I gave a non PHI source. The guy had the 96 Bulls #1, it's not a random fan who decided to write about the 83 Sixers. There are many on the PC board who take 83 Sixers over 86 Celtics as well. Either way, it's irrelevant to the thread and a conversation that ended after the phrase "Certainly better than some little Philly team" was uttered.

[Mr Waternoose]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/865311-10-greatest-nba-teams-of-all-time
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/ct-best-nba-teams-spt-0609-20170608-story.html
http://www.espn.com/nba/photos/gallery/_/id/13097489/image/19/2-1986-boston-celtics-top-20-greatest-nba-teams-ever
https://m.ranker.com/list/best-single-season-nba-teams/loganrapp
https://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/the-7-best-nba-teams-of-all-time.html/?a=viewall
http://www.nba.com/history/toptenteams_index.html
https://herosports.com/nba/top-10-nba-teams-of-all-time-bulls-celtics-lakers-warriors-76ers-michael-jordan-bkbk
http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2017/02/14/top-5-greatest-nba-teams-of-all-time/
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-best-nba-teams-of-all-time-according-to-elo/
https://nypost.com/2016/06/11/the-best-nba-team-ever-didnt-have-michael-jordan-or-curry/
https://nypost.com/2016/06/11/the-post-ranks-best-nba-teams-ever-more-mj-than-curry-love/
http://newarena.com/nba/ranked-the-25-greatest-teams-in-nba-history/16/

Top results from google search of “greatest nba teams ever”
Not one ranked ANY Phily teams over the 85-86 Celtics.
I challenge you to find me any non PHI sources that put the 83 sixers over the 85 Celtics.

http://thehoopdoctors.com/2009/09/10-greatest-nba-champions-2-83-sixers/ That wasn't very hard.

Allen Moll is an avid NBA and College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.

He lives in Pennsylvania lol. First 2 lines. Like I said “non sixers” source

http://lehighvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/lehigh-valley-map.jpg
Pretty close to PHI

The 83 sixers aren't normally going to end up on a list of the absolute greatest teams of all time for 2 reasons. They only won one title in their run, and they coasted through the last 15 games of the season after they had everything locked up. They started 57-9 which was 4 games better than the 85-86 celtics after 66 games. The celtics played hard the rest of the way and only lost 2 games of their last 16 while the sixers screwed around and went 8 and 8 in their last 16 games. The last 3 losses they didn't play any starters more than 24 minutes. If the sixers didn't go 12-1 in the playoffs it would be easier to discount the uninspiring finish to something else. Even looking back now it is hard to figure out why a team that was so dominant one year and had everybody back fell off so dramatically the following year.

[robbie84]

76ers should win- especially since Jaylen Brown will miss 2 or 3 games. Philly has added some solid veterans and their opponent is obviously limping along even more now.
I think this series will be closer than everyone expects.

Crucial for the Celtics to win game 1 at home so they can at least try to defend home court with Jaylen in game 3 if he makes it back.
Brown's defense (and offense to an extent), is just so important to this team's success.

I mean either way, whoever comes out of the East is getting embarrassed by the Warriors or Rox.

[Baller1234a]

http://thehoopdoctors.com/2009/09/10-greatest-nba-champions-2-83-sixers/ That wasn't very hard.

Allen Moll is an avid NBA and College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.

He lives in Pennsylvania lol. First 2 lines. Like I said “non sixers” source

http://lehighvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/lehigh-valley-map.jpg
Pretty close to PHI

You said a non PHI source, I gave a non PHI source. The guy had the 96 Bulls #1, it's not a random fan who decided to write about the 83 Sixers. There are many on the PC board who take 83 Sixers over 86 Celtics as well. Either way, it's irrelevant to the thread and a conversation that ended after the phrase "Certainly better than some little Philly team" was uttered.

Dude he lives close to PHI. It’s actually pretty telling if that’s the best you can find. A basketball fan that lives next to PHI supporting the sixers.

I saw that you thought the 83 Sixers was better than the 85 Celtics and responded the rest of the argument does not pertain to me. Also could you link those PC posts thanks.

[GeorgeMarcus]

Allen Moll is an avid NBA and College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.

He lives in Pennsylvania lol. First 2 lines. Like I said “non sixers” source

http://lehighvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/lehigh-valley-map.jpg
Pretty close to PHI

You said a non PHI source, I gave a non PHI source. The guy had the 96 Bulls #1, it's not a random fan who decided to write about the 83 Sixers. There are many on the PC board who take 83 Sixers over 86 Celtics as well. Either way, it's irrelevant to the thread and a conversation that ended after the phrase "Certainly better than some little Philly team" was uttered.

Dude he lives close to PHI. It’s actually pretty telling if that’s the best you can find. A basketball fan that lives next to PHI supporting the sixers.

I saw that you thought the 83 Sixers was better than the 85 Celtics and responded the rest of the argument does not pertain to me. Also could you link those PC posts thanks.

Post the questions in PC and find out for yourself. Did you think I had readily available quotes?

[sfernald]

Might as well cancel the game. The sixers are the best team ever assembled and Boston won't score more than 12 points. RealGM has spoken.

This will go bad for the Celtics. So bad that after getting swept 4-0, real Celtics fans are going to storm the Garden and tear down all those banners homer fans keep talking about all the time.

[CoreyGallagher]

Sixers are 8-1 to win championship. I guess Vegas hasn't seen a good team in a while either

I think that might have something to do with Lebron having his worst supporting cast ever and the Raps being the only healthy contender in the East. The Sixers don't have a shot in hell of winning the title though. We all know this.

Don't be too hard on them. They haven't been in the playoffs in awhile. All of this is new to them.

8/1 is for the Championship, not for the East. The reasons he listed are why the Sixers are 6/5 favorites to win the East, tho.

Don’t need much familiarity to simply google.

[ballup]

Brett and Brad should just play chess. Best of 7.

Can they choose a team related champion to compete in their place?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

[soxfan2003]

http://thehoopdoctors.com/2009/09/10-greatest-nba-champions-2-83-sixers/ That wasn't very hard.

Allen Moll is an avid NBA and College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.

He lives in Pennsylvania lol. First 2 lines. Like I said “non sixers” source

http://lehighvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/lehigh-valley-map.jpg
Pretty close to PHI

The 83 sixers aren't normally going to end up on a list of the absolute greatest teams of all time for 2 reasons. They only won one title in their run, and they coasted through the last 15 games of the season after they had everything locked up. They started 57-9 which was 4 games better than the 85-86 celtics after 66 games. The celtics played hard the rest of the way and only lost 2 games of their last 16 while the sixers screwed around and went 8 and 8 in their last 16 games. The last 3 losses they didn't play any starters more than 24 minutes. If the sixers didn't go 12-1 in the playoffs it would be easier to discount the uninspiring finish to something else. Even looking back now it is hard to figure out why a team that was so dominant one year and had everybody back fell off so dramatically the following year.

A couple of important factors were Moses Malone and Dr. J slowed down. With Dr. J not surprising given his age.

With Moses, he was still just 28 entering that season but I think in the good sense of the word, he was a "bully" of a basketball player that took advantage of more finesse players with the way he attacked the boards and throughout the mid 80's and up until expansion hit, the competition was getting a little better each year so Moses was a bit less intimidating. 82-83 was his last year of his career doing it but MM shot 49.99% or above from the field for 6 straight years but he played from 83-84 to 94-95 without ever doing that again.

The league improved a ton from when Bird/Magic entered it until 1985 and kept on improving until expansion hit and I think that hurt Moses a bit.

I have great respect for 83 76er since they were truly dominant that year but I don't think they translate well in a fair hypothetical series of all time great teams with half of the games played with pre 1979 rules before the 3 point shot and half the game played without it.

The 85-86 Celtics took many regular season road games off but finished 41-1 at home. The often just played for a quarter or two on the defensive end or not at all. Kind of easy to see when they cranked things up which they normally did in the 4th quarter at home in close games. That Celtics team bench outside of Walton, who played excellent, wasn't that good 7-12 and that makes winning regular season games on the road tougher.

[GreenBloodedC]

All I'm thinking is what would Philly feel if their supposed "Championship core" loses to Celtics young players.

[CoreyGallagher]

All I'm thinking is what would Philly feel if their supposed "Championship core" loses to Celtics young players.

Would be very disappointing to lose this series.

However, you’re taking what was said out of context, which has happened a lot in this thread... I wouldn’t consider long odds to be considered a true ‘Championship core’, in that we have much likelihood to win it this season. 8/1 odds are not good, lol. What was implied is that it’s impossible, and what we simply said is that we at least have a chance, which is what Vegas believed as well when those odds were set.

[robbie84]

[hookshot199]

Going Philly in six, Horford plays Embiid great and Brad can do some creative things like he did with Semi vs Giannis but I think ultimately Philly’s scoring will be more reliable. Philly can potentially dominate on the boards too. Celtics will need Brown back ASAP, need a big series on both ends from him.

Philly will win all home games. They should win one or two in the Garden because of injuries if it goes six or seven games. This series, with or without injuries to key players, will be a coming of age for Simmons and Brett Brown. It's hard to win in the Garden.

[Prez]

Not trying to rip on the Celtics, they're a high quality team even missing key players and would've likely made the finals and given GSW/HOU a tough series with their full roster. But as these teams stand going into this series, I just don't see Philly losing this unless they completely implode or choke badly.

We have a 50 game sample size of them since Christmas playing like the best team in the league. Not that they ARE the best (they certainly aren't better than a 100% GSW), but by the numbers their regular season performance in that span was up there with anyone, and nothing in their series against Miami has me second guessing their ability.

[Asian Celtic]

All I'm thinking is what would Philly feel if their supposed "Championship core" loses to Celtics young players.

Would be very disappointing to lose this series.

However, you’re taking what was said out of context, which has happened a lot in this thread... I wouldn’t consider long odds to be considered a true ‘Championship core’, in that we have much likelihood to win it this season. 8/1 odds are not good, lol. What was implied is that it’s impossible, and what we simply said is that we at least have a chance, which is what Vegas believed as well when those odds were set...

The 76ers are not in complete form yet as well as the Celtics. Just hoping for a good series coz we both can see from a mile away there's gonna be bad blood for the years to come.