The Sixers have told us on many occasions this season that they are “built for the playoffs.”
Their upcoming first-round series against the Celtics will not be a perfect test of that theory, as one of their two All-Stars is sidelined by an unfortunate knee injury, but it will be the first time the statement has been anything to go by. hypothetical.
In the context of Ben Simmons’ injury and the fact that his team rarely equaled the one he thought could compete for the top seed in the Eastern Conference in September, it would have been reasonable for Brett Brown to emphasizing that expectations had changed because the Sixers were without one of their best and most important players.
Instead, he doubles down, or whatever it is called now when a head coach sticks to an unofficial motto in a marathon season reshaped by a pandemic.
I do, ‘he said Friday. “And I think that for a few reasons. I think that defensively, we’re starting to understand how we play with each other, we’re starting to understand the switch groups. We clearly need a healthy Joel Embiid … You need a healthy Joel Embiid to to make the run we have to make.I think that defensively, there is a spirit, there is a connection between our group that makes me say that.
“I feel offensive, there’s a path. It’s a different path than ever with Ben, but there’s a path. I think our scoring opportunities, I think our symmetry has been pretty clean and clear since the loss. hat of Ben.
‘I think both sides of the ball and the mind, I believe we are built for the playoffs. I look forward to playing Boston. They are good coaches, they are a great team, they have had an exceptional year and we are beaten and now is our moment. Now is our time to acknowledge and I think the group has the opportunity to do so.
The Sixers’ reason for supporting the “built for the playoffs” mantra has often been presented by Al Horford – the idea that he could help keep Giannis Antetokounmpo, Embiid able to competently secure and deliver veterans. None of these possibilities have evaporated, and yet the overpowering concept is still one that Brown needs to sell. It’s not at all obvious that the Sixers are set for playoff success. In fact, they will be heavy underdogs against Boston.
There are reasons to believe in a rise, but you need to stretch them. Embiid could be dominant and, for the first time, healthy in an entire post season. The Sixers were able to stay strong, after shooting 41.6 percent of three-point range during their seeding games. The 34-year-old Horford could help contain the 22-year-old Jayson Tatum, and the Josh Richardson and Matisse Thybulle tandem could be effective against Kemba Walker. Defending the three-point line well – the Sixers have allowed the fewest shots per game in the NBA – could prove valuable, as turnover could have been better than in previous seasons.
It’s not out of the question that enough of those ingredients will materialize to, in Brown’s estimation, hit a team with “four players who can get 30 on a given night.” One feels that Brown and the Sixers are hopeful that they can speak it to existence. They want to believe the playoffs are another world, one where the mistakes of a giant roster’s regular season, including the Horford-Embiid pairing, are losing relevance.
“I do, and I stand by that, I feel like our team is built for the playoffs,” Brown said on May 15. ” I think if you took a ruler or a yardstick and you kind of measured our wing span to wing tension, we have the toughest team in the NBA. I think we have the opportunity to protect because of that length, and I think spirit, like everyone else.
‘All our attention in the regular season and when we even get together on the phone now is:‘ What works in the playoffs? ‘We’re always kind of grounded … like,’ This is good, but you know what, it’s not real – what’s going on in the playoffs? ‘
Horford, the man whose face would likely be on a ‘Built for the playoffs’ shirt, brought the motto up without it coming back on July 3rd.
“… I believe our team is built for the playoffs,” he said. “The regular season is always difficult. We have new guys and everyone trying to mesh, but I believe this is a second chance for us and a great opportunity. ”
Indeed, it is a second chance for a team that has not yet met its own expectations. And it’s time to see – as best we can without an All-Star – whether there is substance behind a very persistent mantra.
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