By Tedd Caputo, Contributing Writer
The NBA season came to a close in a big way Wednesday. Eleven of the 17 teams in the playoff race fought for seeding in their respective conferences; however, the most important seeding situation in the NBA takes place between two of the most exciting teams in the league as of right now: the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers.
These two teams have been battling for the third seed in the Eastern Conference ever since their matchup on April 6. The Sixers came out with the victory, topping the Cavs 132-130. Performances from stars Lebron James and Ben Simmons did not disappoint, as they each put up a triple-double in the game. Not only did this game put the 76ers ahead of the Cavs in the Eastern Conference standings, but it showed that the Sixers can play playoff-quality basketball.
With the Sixers playing the way they are and having their first two games of the NBA playoffs being home matchups, the process has not only been introduced, but is rather fully developed. This is a team that accumulated a 109-301 record over the past five seasons, each one being a losing season. This season, they are 51-30 and have a 4-1 shot to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, according to Westgate Las Vegas. With this newfound success over the course of this season, is this team here to stay? I think so, but let’s talk about their playoff chances before we make any bold predictions for the future.
The 76ers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday 130-95, sealing the third seed in the Eastern Conference. This game was extremely important because with a certain seed in the playoffs comes certain matchups down the line. The Sixers will have a first-round matchup with the Miami Heat. Against Miami, they can run the floor with their fast guards and flexible wing players for all 48 minutes, which could take a toll on a slower team like the Heat.
That would take them to a potential matchup with a banged-up Boston Celtics team, which may struggle in the playoffs without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward on the court. Plus, Joel Embiid can post up against guys like Aaron Baynes, Greg Monroe and Al Horford in this matchup. Embiid is an all-around big man who can pull up from almost anywhere on the court, so I expect this to be a nightmare for the Celtics to deal with.
I believe that this young Sixers team has a legitimate shot to get to the NBA Finals this year if they get to the Eastern Conference Finals. I also believe that this team is here to stay and will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. To me, it’s because of one guy: Ben Simmons. Simmons has shown in his rookie season that he has superstar potential. In the game against the Cavaliers, he was “Lebron-esque” in a sense, taking command of the game late and leading the team to victory, even though the Cavs almost came back. He is the focal point of the team, the guy that the offense runs around. The way he has played this year, alongside the better-than-expected performances from rookies Embiid and Markelle Fultz, shows how talented this team will be in a few years.
The first thing these Sixers will have to do to prove me right is show that they belong. They can do this by taking advantage of their 16-game winning streak and a weak Eastern Conference, making the NBA Finals. It is very possible, but at the end of the day, all roads lead to LeBron. This playoff is the final test of whether “the process” works. I hope it does.
Photo courtesy of taney.light.sportspilot.com
