Section 215
Fansided

5 numbers to know about the Sixers’ first round matchup with Washington

By David Esser

Jan 6, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) handles the ball against Washington Wizards guard Ish Smith (14) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 6, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) handles the ball against Washington Wizards guard Ish Smith (14) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Sixers Bradley Beal
May 16, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) dribbles as Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier (3) defends during the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

36.7

36.7 represents the amount of points that Bradley Beal averaged against the Sixers this season, which is obviously quite high. Beal has been one of the best scorers in the NBA this season, and is unquestionably the Wizards best player. Finding a way to slow him down will likely be at the top of Doc Rivers to-do list during this round one series.

Ben Simmons is the first player who could see significant time guarding Beal, as he is one of the frontrunner’s for this year’s “Defensive Player of the Year” Award. Simmons’ extreme length and athleticism should prove difficult for Beal, despite his elite shooting and ball-handling skills.

However, it’s worth noting that Rivers liked to run Simmons as a “roamer” during some of the Sixers’ previous matchups against Washington this season, which means the likes of Danny Green and Matisse Thybulle should also be expected to spend time defending Beal.

Green is a savvy veteran who has plenty of postseason experience defending high-scoring guards, and Thybulle could be staring down his first career All-NBA Defensive Team nomination this year. Both players should at least be able to hang with Beal and his scoring tendencies.

Beal is likely going to get his throughout the series, but like previously stated, the Sixers are undefeated against Washington this season, despite all of Beal’s offensive production.