Quote (Sixers @ Mar 29 2023 08:27am)

No shot creators? Lol? I guess Harden and Maxey died, or? You living in 2020/2021 or something when they were relying on Ben Simmons?

Also, I never said sixers WILL win it all, but they certainly have a shot. They're a true contender, obviously, and can go toe to toe with any other team in the league. It'll be a battle and obviously all depend on keep Embiid healthy. I'll pretty much hold my breath through the playoffs, because if they stay healthy they beat anyone.

With that said, this team is MUCH different than previous years because we're no longer relying on Ben fucking Simmons to be our second best player. Your statement is as if they haven't upgraded and become deeper, and it's as if Embiid isn't better than ever before. A healthy Harden alone makes this team SO much more dangerous than they ever were with Simmons in the playoffs. The Embiid and Harden P&R is dominant, and if they're both healthy this offense is elite.

Plus, an even more mature and polished Maxey who is a monster scorer, more depth, and actual physical vets with playoff experience. While the roster isn't perfect, there's zero question it's better than before (though backup C is still questionable). A full year with a healthy Harden has allowed everyone to get used to their roles, hence why the Sixers have the best record in the league over the past 3.5 months.

Quote (MildSambal @ Mar 28 2023 10:03pm)

The glaring weakness that I see is that Shake and Niang have fallen off a cliff, also Dedmond has nothing left. The 76ers depth is super sussy because of this, you know its bad when Korkmaz is getting meaningful minutes in 2023. Shake has flashes of being a great bench piece but then he also has some really questionable moments, especially lately he has been terrible. TBH I think Springer should be getting more minutes over Shake at this point, but Doc is too stupid.

Let's not forget that Doc had his back against the wall to even give Maxey his opportunity to shine, otherwise 76ers fans would probably still be wondering if they wasted a pick on him.I'd be worried if the 76ers were smart enough to start giving Springer minutes and dropped Dedmon for someone like Bradley. Maxey is a good piece but he is someone that's easy to pick on defensively, especially for big 2s like JB and Holiday.

Quote (Sixers @ Mar 29 2023 09:43am)

Korkmaz??? Umm...Korkmaz hasn't been in the rotation for a long time. Hence why he asked to be traded at the deadline. He doesn't get meaningful minutes this season, and he won't be on the floor in the playoffs lol.

Also not sure why you're saying Niang has fallen off? He's doing what he has always done giving them 20 min a night shooting 40%+ from 3pt. Suspect defense though.

And Shake Milton has been pretty reliable this season tbh. Averaging normal numbers for his career and shooting the ball well this season 48% FG and 39% 3PT. Gives them a solid 20 minutes a night. He's a solid bench scorer.

Playoff rotation will consist of Harden/Maxey/Tobias/Tucker/Embiid with Melton, Milton, Niang, Jalen McDaniels, Paul Reed off the bench. Maybe Danuel House a little too, idk. Dedmond should be the third center, but with Doc you never know. Then there's Montrez Harrell who seems to be in Doc's dog house and out of the rotation right now.

Quote (MildSambal @ Mar 28 2023 10:50pm)

Melton is the only solid bench piece you listed there. Shake gets tunnel vision... all IMO

The only thing about Philly that worries me is needing to play them 5 on 8, knowing that Harden and Embiid will grift plenty of fts to drag out a series

With a Cleveland loss today it becomes that much more likely that Boston and Philly have to deal with each other in rd 2, thankful for that

Oh and I still remember Embiid pulling bullshit like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c58sRMA5UeY

Quote (MildSambal @ Mar 28 2023 10:50pm)

Melton is the only solid bench piece you listed there. Shake gets tunnel vision... all IMO

The only thing about Philly that worries me is needing to play them 5 on 8, knowing that Harden and Embiid will grift plenty of fts to drag out a series

With a Cleveland loss today it becomes that much more likely that Boston and Philly have to deal with each other in rd 2, thankful for that

Oh and I still remember Embiid pulling bullshit like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c58sRMA5UeY

Quote (Sixers @ Mar 29 2023 10:03am)

Also, you talk as though the sixers aren't 2-1 vs Milwaukee this season lol

Quote (Sixers @ Mar 28 2023 08:03pm)

Also, you talk as though the sixers aren't 2-1 vs Milwaukee this season lol

Quote (MildSambal @ Mar 28 2023 11:04pm)

Wont matter unless Philly gets over the 2nd round hump

Good luck to you but Boston has owned that ass

Quote

There are countless ways for Joel Embiid to put his dominance on display. He’s pretty much always the largest, most intimidating person on the court, with a polished jumper, the dexterity of a ballet dancer, and the ability to draw contact and send himself to the free throw line whenever he wants.

Embiid’s talent now equals what we’d see if we could merge prime Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant into the same body. There’s enough power and skill to virtually guarantee something good if he’s granted an opportunity to attack one-on-one. The common-sense reaction by the NBA’s 29 other teams when that happens is to load up, show bodies, and send lots of help from different angles, with different players, and at different junctures. It’s here, in these pockets of time and space, that Embiid’s at his most appealing, fierce, and vulnerable.

This season, nobody has drawn more double-teams out of isolation and post-ups than Embiid, per Second Spectrum. (Nikola Jokic ranks second on post-ups and Giannis Antetokounmpo is second in isolation.) Yet even though he’s in his seventh season, and has repeatedly dealt with the same coverages over and over again, how Embiid reacts to all that attention remains the most exciting and revealing part of his game.