We are now well into the NBA Postseason and the playoffs have already produced some huge moments, excitement and major blows. There have been huge upsets across both conferences so far. Number one seeds the Milwaukee Bucks crashed out in the first round to the eighth seeded Miami Heat in a 4-1 series loss in the Eastern Conference. In the West, play-in winners the LA Lakers defeated the second seeded Memphis Grizzlies 4-2 and state rivals the Golden State Warriors, who entered as sixth seeds, defeated fellow Californians in the form of the third seeded Sacramento Kings 4-3 in a thrilling series. Elsewhere there were wins for the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks. DraftKings Sportsbook currently have the Boston Celtics amongst the favorites for this years champions.
However, of every team to have entered the playoffs in 2023, the Philadelphia 76ers are the only team to have completed a series-sweep so far. They dominated the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, winning all but one game by a margin of at least eight points. They finished 3rd in the Eastern Conference this season, their 54-28 record being their best in over 20 years. As of writing they are currently tied 1-1 with the Celtics in the semifinals and though it is as stern a test as they will face in the conference their strong showing in game one lifted their hopes ever so slightly.
When it comes to just why they have been in such rich form this season there are two clear reasons in the form of Joel Embiid and James Harden. The former was recently named as the league MVP beating Denver's Nikola Jokić and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo by a comfortable margin. The Cameroonian born Center has been nothing short of incredible in 2022-23, leading the league in scoring with 33.1ppg as well as averaging a double-double per game with 10.2 rebounds. Embiid’s career has been somewhat of a slow burn, missing his first two seasons as a pro due to a foot injury. When he finally started playing, former sixers general manager Sam Hinkie began to build a team around him. Now, with the likes of Harden and Tyrese Maxey alongside him he has finally completed ‘The Process’.
Harden on the other hand has been the most prolific playmaker in the league this season. Averaging 10.7apg, he tops the stats board among all other players in the league and has been every bit as integral to Philadelphia’s run to the playoffs as Embiid. With him on the court, they average 25.5apg compared to 24.3 without him as well as 116.1ppg compared to 113.1 by the same metric. The added firepower of Tyrese Maxey has given Philly three excellent shooters. They also boast one of the best defences in the league allowing just 110.9ppg, putting them 3rd in the league behind only the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. This, along with a points differential of +4.3.
There were some huge games and solo performances throughout the season which proved that the sixers were a force to be reckoned with. Embiid’s incredible performance against Utah in November saw him score a career high 59 points in a 105-98 win. In the following two months the MVP would have one of the most electric runs of his career so far. Averaging 34.9ppg by the month’s end in January, he played seven games in a row in which he went for 30+ points, three games for 40+, seven double-double’s and an FG% of 54.9 which was only off-set by an ‘off day’ against the Nets. In that game, he still put up 26 and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Philadelphia lost just twice that month with Embiid playing and established themselves as top playoff contenders.
Harden missed all but one game in November though came back firing the following month. He had seven double-doubles, averaging 12.0 assists and 21.8 points in December. From that month onwards, Philly would lose just 14 regular season games from 49 with Harden on the court with the playoffs all but secured early on.
Fast-forward to April and Philly have been strong in the playoffs so far. They breezed past the Nets with few issues even though Embiid had a relatively average series with 20.0ppg. Harden’s electrifying game one performance against the Celtics in which he put up 45 points was an excellent tone setter for the semifinals, proving to Boston that although they may be heavy favorites the sixers are no pushovers. There are high hopes in The City Of Brotherly Love and they no doubt want to get rid of their unwanted playoff record. They have every chance of defying the odds and progressing through to the conference finals and beyond should they maintain their regular season form.
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