How do the Sixers matchup with the Boston Celtics?
The Sixers’ improvement will be constantly be tested against one of the East’s elites in the Boston Celtics.
The Sixers and Celtics have thrown some haymakers at each other in their long history as east coast rivals. It’s a rivalry that Philadelphia often found themselves being bullied in. The Celtics lead the head to head regular season matchup, leading the Sixers 54-46. They also have the upper-hand in playoff series with 12 wins to Philadelphia’s eight losses.
With both teams on the verge of their rosters’ peaks, it seems like the rivalry should be restarting soon. What fuels the fire even more is the blockbuster trade this past summer. When the Sixers made the move for Markelle Fultz, the Celtics received the pick that led to Jayson Tatum, and future protected picks.
The two rookies both look promising to this point, and will play a major role in on-court battles and off-court perception between the team down the line. The Sixers will be considerably better this upcoming season, and will have the chance to be competitive when playing Boston. The two will even be taking the rivalry to London Jan. 11th.
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The Celtics made some splashes themselves. While continuing collect future assets, they made a splash by signing small forward Gordon Hayward. In a move to top the Cavaliers in the East and position themselves better against Golden State, the Celtics landed one of the top free agents on the market.
The Sixers’ biggest signing was taking on elite shooter J.J. Redick on a hefty one-year deal. The returns of injured young stars will be what Philadelphia will invest their hope with. A projected starting lineup of Fultz, Redick, Robert Covington, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid is enough to stir fear into many Eastern Conference.
But the Celtics are a different story. Isaiah Thomas is now surrounded by an elite wing player, as Hayward joins Jae Crowder in the backcourt. Al Horford and the newly-acquired Marcus Morris, who was the main return in the Avery Bradley deal, will round out the starting five. In a seven-game series, it wouldn’t be hard to pick Boston.
The depth on the wing is really where the Celtics have their dagger. The Sixers are weak in that sense, with Robert Covington being the most polished option. Jaylen Brown and Tatum can prove to be productive bench scorers, and against a weak second-unit for the Sixers, they’ll make a huge impact.
Thomas, while being a liability defensively, exploded as one of the league’s most feared scorers. Thomas’ ability to score in bunches is matched by only the game’s elites, and attacking a rookie Fultz will be tantalizing. The only way the Sixers can pull the upset is protecting the rim and dominating the boards.
Which comes down to the play of Embiid. Embiid must maximize his body against Horford, who has continuously shown his lack of defense and rebounding. If he can work the two-man game with Simmons, who will likely be tagged by Crowder, than the Sixers can pull the rabbit out of the hat.
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For now, Boston will reign supreme in this building rivalry. But expect the two organizations to stand as the next goliaths of the East, especially with Cleveland on the verge of combustion.