Just less than a week ago, NBA analysts and experts were fully sold on the idea that this is the year the so-called Philly “process” gets realized. After all, the Sixers just ran over the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs, winning 3-1 to set a meeting with the Boston Celtics.
But things have quickly gone south. The undermanned Celtics squad have managed to outplay the dynamic duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and the rest of their vaunted “United Nations” starters of Marco Belinelli, Ersan Ilyasova, and J.J. Redick. As of this writing, Philly is down 3-0 and is now almost guaranteed not to progress to the conference finals.
Image source: theaustralian.com.au
Of course, we’re not taking anything away from the great job Boston have done in matching up with the 76ers. But the bleak scenario facing Philly just boils down to playoffs inexperience. For one, they were leading the Celtics during Game 2 in Boston by more than 20 points. Yet they still managed to lose the game in overtime.
As the 76ers lick their wounds, they look forward not so much to winning Game 4 at home (and making the series a little less lopsided) as assessing how to reach the next level. After all, we can permit this iteration of the team their shortcomings; they have already overachieved as it is after recent horrible, losing seasons. The process simply must go on.
Image source: sportingnews.com
Bob Mims is a true-blue sports fan from Memphis. Aside from catching up on basketball games, he is a follower of the SEC college football and a devoted fan of the Ole Miss. Visit this blogfor more sports reads.
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