Eastern Conference | Round 1 | (4) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Toronto Raptors

[ATLTimekeeper]

Harden isn't a superstar this year, but he's still very good. Russell Westbrook is an MVP, too, right? When your game falls off, that's what you are.

Embiid is a legit MVP, but he also can't play the minutes that the Raptors star players can. If the Raptors can slow down the complimentary players of the 76ers they should be able to make their way back into the series, even with their health issues.

[bebopdeluxe]

I'll take the hope of a 20 year old Scottie Barnes over the hope of 33 year old James Harden.

Let me know when Barnes is a finalist for the MVP two seasons straight.

That is the difference between a "maybe" superstar and the real deal.

Well, he's already way ahead of Embiid's progress at this stage of his career...Embiid played 0 games his first two seasons, lets compare 3rd year Barnes vs. 3rd year Embiid in a couple years, yeah?

Nice try. Barnes had a solid rookie year. Embiid led the league in scoring and will probably finish 2nd in the MVP in back to back seasons.

Let me know when Barnes even SNIFFS that level, and then we can talk. OK?

[pingpongrac]

I think the mods should just close this thread down. All I seem to be doing is responding to smack from Raptors fans. No discussion about the series from a basketball standpoint. I tried to post a thread a couple of pages ago about Game 1 - how the Sixers gameplan worked and what Nurse may need to do in Game 2 to counteract it. I got ZERO responses. But when it comes to slagging Harden, or b!tching about the refs? There is no shortage of smack being thrown.

If the mods want to keep this thread open, what can be done to turn down the smack level - from both sides?

I've probably made 20+ posts in this thread with copious amounts of data and proof disputing the fact that Siakam isn't a star, Toronto is terrible, this series will be a cakewalk for Philly because they had an historical G1, Toronto isn't rebuilding, etc. and it's constantly met with "lololol excuses lololol" and "nope, my eye test in 5-10 games is more meaningful than years worth of data and opinions from head offices and media around the league" type of responses from Sixers fans if it even gets acknowledged.

On the flip side, I made a few posts out of frustration with the officiating because FVV was saddled with 3 bogus calls early in the game then fouled out for the first time in his career while Embiid sent numerous Raptors to the floor in the first half alone yet had 1 foul (which was ruled a flagrant) and those were the posts that got the most interaction. It's frustrating from both sides.

[LoveMyRaps]

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[Perseus1966]

you cant let harris and maxey beat you, focus on them ,send a tall guy to defend joel and let him score 50.

[And1+2]

Raptors need to win the Embiidless minutes tonight. Excited to see what kind of adjustments we make and if anyone steps up...

Expecting a more controlled game all around.

[Cubbies2120]

Let me know when Barnes is a finalist for the MVP two seasons straight.

That is the difference between a "maybe" superstar and the real deal.

Well, he's already way ahead of Embiid's progress at this stage of his career...Embiid played 0 games his first two seasons, lets compare 3rd year Barnes vs. 3rd year Embiid in a couple years, yeah?

Nice try. Barnes had a solid rookie year. Embiid led the league in scoring and will probably finish 2nd in the MVP in back to back seasons.

Let me know when Barnes even SNIFFS that level, and then we can talk. OK?

Were you expecting a rookie to do that? Why wouldn't we compare apples to apples? Lets see what they look like in their 3rd year, for each of them, yeah?

I'd be willing to bet Barnes 3rd year > Embiid's 3rd year...

[Cubbies2120]

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Thankfully MVP voters recognize how Joel gets a large chunk of his points...and he will have yet another 2nd place MVP to add to his resume

[durka]

Because we don't care what your GM said and the last thing we need is for you guys to concoct yet another excuse to spam everyone with for every time you lose.

What will the Sixers excuse be after they don't make it past the 2nd round this year now that Simmons is gone? My guess is it'll be Doc after they blow a 3-1 lead.

I mean, you posed basically the same question to Sixers fans above and received the answer that the team hasn't won anything and needs to win playoff series to be taken seriously. So yeah, nice false equivalency.

Shouldn't you be pre-writing your refs are all conspiring against Toronto posts for tonight?

Ok lets break this down.

My original point was that I pointed out the hypocrisy of saying a team 3 years removed from a championship and 1 year removed from a top 5 pick is a treadmill team, while not acknowledging that the team that's in it's 5th consecutive playoff run without making it past the 2nd round is a treadmill team. The rebuttal was "well we have HOPE". When someone pointed out that Masai literally said the focus of this season was on development and to expect growing pains, you dismissed that as an "excuse". I pointed out that your team has made of habit of finding scapegoats.

Not sure how those 2 things are the same besides pointing out 2 cases of hypocrisy.

[durka]

you cant let harris and maxey beat you, focus on them ,send a tall guy to defend joel and let him score 50.

Those 2 guys are the x-factor of this series. Nurse always loads up on stars and makes the secondary guys beat them, so if the Sixers depth can keep doing this it their series. You make Maxey try to score 36 every game before going single coverage on Embiid 10/10 times. If he can do that you tip your cap to him and take the L.

[SelfishPlayer]

If the Sixers win a title with Harden instead of Simmons wouldn't it be the exact same situation?

Teams build through trades, thats how the league works. Not sure why sixers fans and players are always literally crying about the Raptors (see photo of Embiid above)

James Harden and Ben Simmons were traded to teams they wanted to play for, Kawhi was traded to team he didn't want to play for and took the first thing smoking out of town.

The best chance the Sixers had of winning a ring was when Jimmy was in town. And just like Kawhi he left to where he wanted to go after 1 season of playing somewhere he didn't want to be.

Who knows, maybe they pull it off this year. I have a hard time seeing them get through any of the other top teams in the East, but if they do kudos to them. I'm taking BOS, MIA, MIL and even the Nets over the 6ers in a 7 game series. The 2019 team was definitely better than this one. Unfortunately the 2019 Raptors were just better.

The Sixers actually chose Brett Brown and Ben Simmons over Jimmy Butler.

[SelfishPlayer]

I'll take the hope of a 20 year old Scottie Barnes over the hope of 33 year old James Harden.

Let me know when Barnes is a finalist for the MVP two seasons straight.

That is the difference between a "maybe" superstar and the real deal.

Well, he's already way ahead of Embiid's progress at this stage of his career...Embiid played 0 games his first two seasons, lets compare 3rd year Barnes vs. 3rd year Embiid in a couple years, yeah?

The Raptors will still be heavy treadmilling in three years.

[Cubbies2120]

Let me know when Barnes is a finalist for the MVP two seasons straight.

That is the difference between a "maybe" superstar and the real deal.

Well, he's already way ahead of Embiid's progress at this stage of his career...Embiid played 0 games his first two seasons, lets compare 3rd year Barnes vs. 3rd year Embiid in a couple years, yeah?

The Raptors will still be heavy treadmilling in three years.

How do you define treadmilling? Is it "Not getting out of 2nd round"? If so, Sixers have been treadmilling every season even since they got Embiid...and it remains to be seen if they get to ECF this year (they should, they have a much easier path than the Celtics/Nets/Bucks).

[SelfishPlayer]

you cant let harris and maxey beat you, focus on them ,send a tall guy to defend joel and let him score 50.

That's a proven game plan when you have a quality defender. The Raptors lack an Al Harford or Marc Gasol. Embiid will just score 50 and shoot 60% or better while doing it.

[durka]

James Harden and Ben Simmons were traded to teams they wanted to play for, Kawhi was traded to team he didn't want to play for and took the first thing smoking out of town.

The best chance the Sixers had of winning a ring was when Jimmy was in town. And just like Kawhi he left to where he wanted to go after 1 season of playing somewhere he didn't want to be.

Who knows, maybe they pull it off this year. I have a hard time seeing them get through any of the other top teams in the East, but if they do kudos to them. I'm taking BOS, MIA, MIL and even the Nets over the 6ers in a 7 game series. The 2019 team was definitely better than this one. Unfortunately the 2019 Raptors were just better.

The Sixers actually chose Brett Brown and Ben Simmons over Jimmy Butler.

So the organization that chose Brett Brown and Ben Simmons over Jimmy Butler isn't a treadmill team, huh? Hard to see a team that makes decisions like that winning a championship.

[SelfishPlayer]

Well, he's already way ahead of Embiid's progress at this stage of his career...Embiid played 0 games his first two seasons, lets compare 3rd year Barnes vs. 3rd year Embiid in a couple years, yeah?

The Raptors will still be heavy treadmilling in three years.

How do you define treadmilling? Is it "Not getting out of 2nd round"? If so, Sixers have been treadmilling every season even since they got Embiid...and it remains to be seen if they get to ECF this year (they should, they have a much easier path than the Celtics/Nets/Bucks).

Treadmilling=playoff team with no hope of winning a CHIP.

[SelfishPlayer]

The best chance the Sixers had of winning a ring was when Jimmy was in town. And just like Kawhi he left to where he wanted to go after 1 season of playing somewhere he didn't want to be.

Who knows, maybe they pull it off this year. I have a hard time seeing them get through any of the other top teams in the East, but if they do kudos to them. I'm taking BOS, MIA, MIL and even the Nets over the 6ers in a 7 game series. The 2019 team was definitely better than this one. Unfortunately the 2019 Raptors were just better.

The Sixers actually chose Brett Brown and Ben Simmons over Jimmy Butler.

So the organization that chose Brett Brown and Ben Simmons over Jimmy Butler isn't a treadmill team, huh? Hard to see a team that makes decisions like that winning a championship.

BM = Before Morey

[durka]

The Sixers actually chose Brett Brown and Ben Simmons over Jimmy Butler.

So the organization that chose Brett Brown and Ben Simmons over Jimmy Butler isn't a treadmill team, huh? Hard to see a team that makes decisions like that winning a championship.

BM = Before Morey

Fun fact about Morey. He spend the better part of a decade in Houston with James Harden(before he was washed up, like he is now) and they NEVER won a ring.

[SelfishPlayer]

What will the Sixers excuse be after they don't make it past the 2nd round this year now that Simmons is gone? My guess is it'll be Doc after they blow a 3-1 lead.

I mean, you posed basically the same question to Sixers fans above and received the answer that the team hasn't won anything and needs to win playoff series to be taken seriously. So yeah, nice false equivalency.

Shouldn't you be pre-writing your refs are all conspiring against Toronto posts for tonight?

Ok lets break this down.

My original point was that I pointed out the hypocrisy of saying a team 3 years removed from a championship and 1 year removed from a top 5 pick is a treadmill team, while not acknowledging that the team that's in it's 5th consecutive playoff run without making it past the 2nd round is a treadmill team. The rebuttal was "well we have HOPE". When someone pointed out that Masai literally said the focus of this season was on development and to expect growing pains, you dismissed that as an "excuse". I pointed out that your team has made of habit of finding scapegoats.

Not sure how those 2 things are the same besides pointing out 2 cases of hypocrisy.

Masai is giving a used car salesmen pitch recharacterizing a salvaged vehicle as a "rebuilt title." Your two best players are 28! Treadmilling and SWEEP!

[SelfishPlayer]

So the organization that chose Brett Brown and Ben Simmons over Jimmy Butler isn't a treadmill team, huh? Hard to see a team that makes decisions like that winning a championship.

BM = Before Morey

Fun fact about Morey. He spend the better part of a decade in Houston with James Harden(before he was washed up, like he is now) and they NEVER won a ring.

He also acquired Harden, a sixth man, who really wanted to playing Houston.