The Sixers Nets Trade and its potential NBA Eastern Conference Impact
>> This will be fascinating to watch. [ ] ... [ ] Playoffs will be terrific. <<
Indeed! It has been a long tedious ride for a 76ers fan. My interest in the team has been rekindled and I'll follow them closely the rest of the season. The NBA Easten Conference was already highly competetive before te trade and now will be even more so. Despite the fact that Simmons did not play a single minute since the beginning of the season The 76ers are currently 1st in the Atlantic Division and 3rd overall in the Eastern Conference ...
These clips from before the All-Star Break are excepted from HoopsRunors: hoopsrumors.com
With just 24 games between now and the playoffs, it will be a challenge for the Sixers‘ new superstar duo of James Harden and Joel Embiid to mesh quickly enough to make the team a legitimate championship threat this spring.
However, head coach Doc Rivers‘ plan isn’t to work out the kinks this year and focus on winning a title in 2023. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Rivers fully believes the team is capable of a championship run this spring and wants to make the most of the opportunity.
“I always think right now,” Rivers said on Thursday. “I’ve been in this league too long. And I always go back to [the Celtics’ 2007/08 NBA championship team.] Kevin [Garnett] and I talk about it all the time. I remember the first year during training camp we had a meeting and they were saying, ‘Man, we have to get it together. This might not be the year. But by next year, we might…’ I said, ‘Next year? Are you guys kidding me? Next year one of you can get hurt.’. ... “I know it’s short. I know it’s going to be hard to get it together. But having said that, the time is always now.” ... [ ] ...
We’re a week removed from the biggest trade in the NBA this season and the early returns haven’t even come in.
James Harden has yet to make his Sixers debut. Ben Simmons remains a few weeks away from wearing a Nets uniform.
According to VegasInsider.com, the Nets and Bucks are currently co-favorites to win the Eastern Conference with the Sixers having the third-best odds.
It will be fascinating to see who ultimately benefited from the trade or perhaps if both teams weakened themselves.
This is an all-in move by the Sixers, given Harden’s age and penchant for quickly souring on the team he’s on. Brooklyn was backed into a corner by Harden’s desire to play in Philly but the deal may end up improving its chemistry.
Harden obviously gives the Sixers a formidable 1-2 offensive punch with Most Valuable Player candidate Joel Embiid. The latter has delivered the best season of his career, keeping Philadelphia within striking distance of the conference’s best record despite Simmons’ refusal to play.
Harden will certainly ease the scoring burden on Embiid. The Sixers had to surrender one of their best shooters, Seth Curry, in the deal but held onto defensive stalwart Matisse Thybulle and young point guard Tyrese Maxey. While Philadelphia apparently tried to dump Tobias Harris’ contract prior to the deadline, he’s still a solid, consistent, low-maintenance contributor.
If and when the Nets get all their pieces back from injuries, their roster remains stacked. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving can carry the scoring load and won’t have to incorporate Harden into the equation. Given that Adam Silver criticized New York City’s vaccine mandate this week, there’s a good chance Irving will eventually be able to play home games.
Simmons’ lack of perimeter shooting could be masked by the weapons around him. He’s also one of the top defenders in the league, so if his free throw shooting isn’t a total disaster, he should be able to finish out games. That’s a best case scenario for Simmons and the Nets – it’s anyone guess whether Simmons is physically and mentally ready to perform under playoff pressure.
With Curry, Patty Mills and Joe Harris (whenever he returns from his ankle issues), there are plenty of perimeter shooters to space the floor for Brooklyn.
Both teams will have to build chemistry on the fly and it’s important to note Embiid, Harden, Durant and Irving have all dealt with significant injuries in recent seasons, often during the postseason.
That leads us to our question of the day: In the wake of the blockbuster James Harden-Ben Simmons trade, which team will go deeper into the playoffs – the Sixers or Nets? <<
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- Eric L - |
