Opinion: Sixers will have their hands full with Celtics in first round of NBA playoffs
In the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers are facing the only team of the five that finished ahead of them in the Eastern Conference that they won the season series against.
Brett Brown’s team took three of four from Boston, so that means drawing the Celtics in a best-of-seven first-round playoff series that begins Monday is a favorable matchup for Philly, right?
Not necessarily.
The third-seeded Celtics are small and quick and essentially start four "smalls" in Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatum alongside center Daniel Theis.
Assuming Brown continues to start Al Horford alongside star center Joel Embiid and tries to pound the ball inside on offense with the bigger Sixers, who will Horford defend? It could be Hayward because Tatum is a real handful — his scoring average improved from 15.7 points last year to 23.4 this season, when he was a first-time All-Star — but Hayward can score, too.
PLAYOFF PICKS: Who advances out of the first round?
BOLD PREDICTIONS: Four potential first-round upsets
"They definitely have length, (but) I think we can use our speed," Walker said Saturday. "That’s one of our advantages."
Horford served as a mentor to Tatum, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 draft, in Boston during Tatum’s first two pro seasons before signing with the Sixers last July.
"He’s taken a huge leap with his game from where he was two years ago, even last year to now," Horford said. "He’s in the talks with the best guys in the league. He’s going to be a super-tough cover for us."
Brown figures to call upon rookie Matisse Thybulle quite a bit due to Thybulle's defensive impact against a team with so much firepower. He said Sunday that he's discussed starting Thybulle — presumably in place of Horford.
"They’re really hard to guard," Brown said Friday. "They have four legitimate guys who can get 30 and are multi-dimensional type players. They can dribble, they can pass, they can drive, they can shoot 3s."
Ben Simmons’ absence due to foot surgery really affects the Sixers, especially at the defensive end. He’s capable of guarding just about anybody on the Celtics, as well as running the offense and getting to the basket.
FULL SCHEDULE: First-round dates, times and TV information
OPINION: Why NBA should add the play-in for normal seasons
For the Sixers to advance, Embiid is probably going to have to dominate Boston big men Theis, Enes Kanter and Robert Williams. He’ll see plenty of double-teams and needs to find open teammates when the extra attention arrives.
To help Embiid — and increase the Sixers’ chances of winning — guys like Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson, Alec Burks, Shake Milton and perhaps Furkan Korkmaz are going to have to knock down perimeter shots. If they don’t, Embiid will have to handle even more of the scoring load.
"I think the thing nobody’s talking about with Simmons out (is) they have shooting at every other position," said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. "All nine of their guys that play around Embiid can shoot the ball, so it makes it very difficult. You have to pick your poison at times. That’s why their offense is so good."
I still think Burks starting in place of Horford makes sense, especially against an undersized team like the Celtics, because of how he spaces the floor and can initiate the offense.
The X-factor for Boston is Walker, who has been bothered by a nagging knee injury. If he is healthy, he should be able to take advantage of the Sixers’ tendency to struggle against fast guards who can create their own shots. Remember Walker’s 60-point outburst against the Sixers in November 2018 when he played for the Charlotte Hornets?
Stevens said Saturday that Walker is "fine. He’s ready to roll." That’s not great news for the Sixers.
If Philly can get past Boston, it’ll reach the second round of the playoffs in three straight seasons for the first time since Larry Brown was the coach (1999-2001).
It could happen, but I don’t think it will. Prediction: Celtics in seven.