2020 NBA playoffs: 5 big storylines ahead of Sixers-Celtics
The Sixers open the 2020 postseason against the hated Celtics. They haven’t beaten Boston in a playoff series since Julius Erving led the team to a Game 7 victory in Boston in 1982.
The Sixers will be without All-Star Ben Simmons, who had successful surgery to remove a loose body from his left knee. While Embiid was able to play in the eighth and final seeding game, his health will still be a question mark as he nurses a sore left ankle and a sore right shooting hand.
Third-seeded Boston is the favorite. The Sixers are hoping they’ll come together in time to pull off the upset.
Here are five storylines to watch:
Defensive matchups
The Sixers will obviously miss Simmons most on the defensive end. When Simmons defended Jayson Tatum, the first-time All-Star went just 5 of 16 for 18 points across four games.
Tatum elevated his game in a big way before the season was suspended. The duty of covering him could fall on former teammate Al Horford. While Horford has had his ups and downs this season, he’s shown off his defensive versatility. Against Toronto last week, Horford held Pascal Siakam to 3 of 10 from the field and generally frustrated the All-Star forward.
But would he be able to hang on the perimeter with Tatum? Would rookie Matisse Thybulle be a better option in the starting lineup?
Simmons also occasionally helped in guarding All-Star Kemba Walker. Walker gave the Sixers fits last season, averaging 37 points a game against them, including a 60-point performance. This season, Walker averaged 22.3 points against the Sixers in three games.
A lot of the credit for slowing down Walker goes to Josh Richardson and Thybulle. When guarded by Richardson this season, Walker shot just 4 of 11. Thybulle was even better, holding Walker to 4 of 12, forcing four turnovers and blocking four of Walker’s shots.
Where it gets murky for the Sixers is when you get to Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward. By process of elimination, you’d think that Tobias Harris and Shake Milton would have to guard either Brown or Hayward. Both of those matchups will be difficult. Harris has improved on the defensive end but Brown or Hayward would be a tough assignment. Milton, in his second season and making his postseason debut, could have trouble with either player.
With Simmons out indefinitely and Glenn Robinson III to miss at least a couple games, the Sixers’ perimeter defense will be tested.
Embiid with double vision
Early on in the “bubble,” Joel Embiid was handling double teams perhaps better than we’ve ever seen. And the Sixers’ three-point shooting, though still low in volume, has been strong. They hit 41.6 percent from three over the course of eight seeding games, good for second in the league.
Embiid wasn’t nearly as crisp in that department against the Raptors and Rockets. Expect Boston to be aggressive in sending multiple defenders at the All-Star center.
Daniel Theis will get the first crack at Embiid. Head coach Brad Stevens has used veteran big Enes Kanter and second-year center Robert Williams off the bench in Disney World. Stevens may let Kanter go toe to toe with Embiid at times, but expect Embiid to see a healthy dose of double teams.
The best defense for the Celtics is likely a good offense. In Theis, they have a strong pick-and-pop player that can take Embiid away from the basket. Kanter is an old-school big that won’t be afraid to get physical on the block. Williams is a rim-running center who is a dynamic roller and high-flying finisher. All three will make Embiid work defensively in different ways.
How hot is Brett Brown’s seat?
On one hand, Simmons’ absence could seriously hinder the Sixers’ ability to go on a deep playoff run. On the other, they still have Embiid and a deeper team than they had last season. So, what happens if the Sixers have a first-round exit? The answer likely isn’t black and white.
There’s no denying that Brown was outcoached by Stevens two years ago. This series offers an interesting test to see how Brown will do in his third postseason as a head coach and up against Stevens again. If the Sixers can make this a competitive series, will that be enough to earn Brown at least one more season?
There’s also no denying that the Sixers underwhelmed throughout the regular season. Will that be a factor for Elton Brand as he ponders the future of his head coach? Will Brand attribute the team’s struggles more to roster construction?
The idea of finding a “new voice” could be a part of Brand’s decision. Brown has gotten seven seasons here, which might as well be a lifetime for an NBA coach. Will he get an eighth? Pulling off an upset against the rival Celtics could buy him more time.
Horford’s strange season
What a weird year it’s been for Horford. A little over a year ago, Horford decided to opt out of his player option with Boston and join one of the Celtics’ biggest rivals. After some early-season success, the Horford experiment next to Embiid and Simmons didn’t go well. It ended up with Brown making the decision to bring Horford off the bench.
It’s only fitting that Horford’s first playoff series in a Sixers uniform would be against the Celtics. Horford has a chance to make both Brand and Brown’s repeated vision of this team being built for the playoffs come to fruition. Horford may or may not start, but his role should still be massive. He’s a very expensive backup five, but he’s a vast improvement over what the Sixers had filling that role last season.
After the year he’s had, it would be quite a story for Horford to help lead the underdog Sixers to a first-round victory over his former team. If he can’t, an uncertain offseason awaits both him and the Sixers.
Where will the offense come from?
Embiid’s importance to this team on both ends can’t be overstated, but when Boston sends multiple defenders his way, who is going to step up?
Harris is going to be critical to the offense’s success. During the seeding games, Harris looked confident and refreshed – keep in mind he played the most minutes in the NBA before the season was suspended. It was some of the best basketball we’ve seen Harris play as a Sixer as he averaged 21.7 points and shot 41.2 percent from three. Beyond the numbers, Harris was decisive and looking to play downhill. He’ll need to carry that over.
The team’s new presumptive sixth man Alec Burks will also be a huge part of this. Burks has shot the ball extremely well in the “bubble” (57.1 percent from three) and been a huge spark, averaging over 20 points a game over his last four. Burks’ ability to create his own shot is a skill the Sixers desperately need. With that, expect Brown to entrust the veteran to play a large role.
The X-factor here could be Richardson. No matter his assignment, he’s going to be critical to the Sixers’ perimeter defense. Will he be able to produce on the other end as well? Richardson did average 20 points a game against the Celtics this season, including a 29-point, seven-assist performance the last time he played against them.
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