On April 16, Beijing time, the NBA playoffs are about to begin. In the opening game, the fifth-place Raptors in the Eastern Conference will face the fourth-place 76ers. The official NBA website analyzes this series and lists three major points to watch.
Separately, NBA expert John Schuhmann predicted the Philadelphia 76ers would make it 4-3.
The Philadelphia 76ers have a record of 51 wins and 31 losses this season, and a trade during the season has changed them dramatically. Simmons joined the Nets in exchange for former regular season MVP James Harden. Now, Harden and Embiid are joining forces to make up for each other's shortcomings.
The Toronto Raptors started the season with a 14-17 loss and don't look like a playoff team. But since Dec. 31 last year they've had a 34-17 record and are seeded No. 5 in the Eastern Conference. Facing the top four in the Eastern Conference of the playoffs this year, they finished 7-2, including two games against the 76ers.
Highlight 1. Do the Raptors play a small lineup?
The Raptors aren't short, with seven of their nine bench players 6 feet 7 inches or taller (2 meters or more), and coach Nas is likely to adopt a variety of tactics. But none of them are as tall and weighty as Embiid, and the Raptors' main No. 5 is Siakam. But in all four encounters, they did not find a way to contain Embiid.
The Raptors have suffered numerous injuries, with OG Anunoby and VanVleet missing and the 76ers missing three of the four regular season games, with Scotty Barnes and Siakam missing one.
Highlight 2. How the Raptors cut off Harden and Embiid
Barnes is the Raptors' No. 1 choice to defend Harden in the regular season, a tactic that could be used in the playoffs.
Whether the Raptors use a large or small lineup, the 76ers' offense is rarely an individual offense. How Philadelphia deals with Toronto's defense is key to their winning game. The 76ers have the highest assist scoring rate in the East, especially in the four games against the Raptors, where they are using passes to score. In all four games, the 76ers shot higher than their opponents.
In the most recent meeting, the 76ers made 17 mistakes.
Look at the 3.76ers bench, especially Embiid's bench
In the two games that lost to the Raptors after the All-Star, the 76ers Embiid had a high plus-minus. In the home loss to the Raptors, embiid played 21 minutes, and the 76ers led 61-36.
In the main battle, the 76ers have a lot of advantages. But whether they can win depends on their bench.
With Drummond being traded to the Nets, this has reduced the strength of the 76ers' interior bench. Mattis Sable, who was well defended, couldn't travel to Canada because his vaccine wasn't finished.
The Raptors have the potential to upset, with their frontcourt rebounds ranking second in the league. They've been fantastic over the last few months, especially against Philadelphia, where they're 3-1.
But if the 76ers can handle the offense and defend their own backcourt, giving Toronto fewer offensive rebounds, the Raptors will have a hard time scoring.
Coach Nas will certainly make changes on the defensive end to target the 76ers. But regardless of the Raptors' defense, they'll have a hard time keeping Harden and Embiid away from the free throw line. Coach Rivers should be able to extend Embiid's playing time, as the Raptors have yet to find a way to defend Embiid.
In the end, they expected the two teams to play seven games, and finally the 76ers won 4-3.
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