Hey all,
No more words from me today, as I dropped my official series preview earlier this morning, and released a preview pod last night. Be sure to check both of them out.
Instead, here's a quick email rounding up a few other pieces of content you should checkout from other writers and podcasters to get ready for tonight's Game 1.
Without further ado...
Short-handed Sixers will need Tobias Harris to continue thriving against Heat
Harris turned up the defense in the first-round series against the Raptors. He’ll need to keep a similar intensity against the Heat.
Rich Hofmann
Key takeaways:
- Harris recalls a February game against Cleveland as a pivotal point when he realized defense would be a key for him to continue to impact games.
- “I definitely have more energy to go and guard somebody [after the trade]."
- “Me and Doc met early in the year, he didn’t think my defense was at the level it was last year,” Harris said. “And you know from there, I was pretty motivated to shut him up.”
Anonymous scout, coach, executive pick 2022 NBA second-round winners
Who will win the Miami-Philly, Boston-Milwaukee, Phoenix-Dallas and Golden State-Memphis playoff series?
Josh Robbins
Key takeaways:
- The Athletic surveyed a scout, a coach and an executive on each second-round series.
- It did not go well for the Sixers.
Sixers vs. Heat series preview: Matchups, x-factors, and prediction for round 2
Previewing the Sixers second round matchup with the Miami Heat.
Kyle Neubeck
- "James Harden and Tyrese Maxey vs. Everybody"
- "Jimmy Butler vs. Matisse Thybulle vs. Thybulle's ability to stay on the floor"
- Debating the backup bigs.
- Series X-factor.
- Kyle's prediction.
Round 2 is a chance for James Harden to start rewriting his rep
Fair or not, James Harden’s current legacy as a player is something like this — he is among the most skilled offensive players to ever live, and he has failed to translate that into postseason results.
Kyle Neubeck
Key takeaways:
- "Fair or not, James Harden's current legacy as a player is something like this — he is among the most skilled offensive players to ever live, and he has failed to translate that into postseason results."
- "Part of Harden's job, at least as he explains it, is making sure that Maxey is staying in the right frame of mind throughout the game."
- "Harden ended up shooting 65.2 percent in the restricted area, a jump of nearly 10 percent over his regular-season numbers. You could attribute that to a number of factors, from small sample size to increased time with Embiid to getting to attack a compromised Fred Van Vleet for a good chunk of the series, but it's a number that needs to keep trending toward the positive, lest the Sixers end up reliant on the success of his stepback jumper alone."
Paul Reed embracing increased role during Sixers’ playoff run
Reed was the Sixers’ backup center in their first-round series against the Toronto Raptors, and could be a contender to start against the Miami Heat with Joel Embiid out due to injury.
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Key takeaways:
- “He’s a gym rat,” Niang said of Reed, “and the basketball gods reward guys like that.”
- “He’s learning so fast and he’s a hell of a player,” Jordan said. “So we’re going to need that from him, mistakes and all.”
To win without Joel Embiid, Sixers’ Doc Rivers must think outside the box vs. Miami | David Murphy
Doc Rivers and the Sixers can’t stick to convention if they hope to beat the Heat without injured star Joel Embiid
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Key takeaways:
- "Or, in simpler terms, when the Known is not good enough, bet on the Unknown. The Sixers know that they cannot put DeAndre Jordan on the court for an extended period of time and field a competitive team."
- "If I’m Rivers, this is what I’m doing. I’m starting Thybulle. I’m putting Tobias Harris on Bam Adebayo. I’m doubling when I have to. I’m daring Miami to stray from what it does best. You want to turn an athletic rim-runner into a banger? Have at it."
- "The pertinent question isn’t who gives the Sixers the best chance to approximate a traditional big man. The question is who gives the Sixers’ the best chance to win a game on any given night."
Series preview: How will Heat-Sixers turn out with Joel Embiid injured?
There’s been no timetable on Joel Embiid’s return, but Philadelphia could be in deep trouble if he’s unable to suit up.
Shaun Powell
Key takeaways:
- "Jimmy Butler averaged 12.5 points in the restricted area in the first round."
- "The circumstances are a bit different with Embiid out, yet Harden has a chance to own the ball again and his fate. The last time he had such freedom, he enjoyed a robust stretch in Houston. Problem is, he seems a level below those Houston years and certainly less efficient."
- "Adebayo doesn’t need to worry about collecting fouls, and for Miami, there’s no need to double whomever the Sixers offer as Embiid’s replacement. Adebayo is a tremendous defensive player on his own, and now, he can save some of his energy for offense."
James Harden Will Feel the Heat Without Joel Embiid
To get past Miami, Philadelphia will need the former MVP in its backcourt to play like a current one. Can the Beard channel his heyday in Houston?
Kevin O’Connor
Key takeaways:
- "The once-revolutionary scorer has looked pretty ordinary of late. In the first round against the Raptors, Harden averaged only 19 points on 13.2 shots per game."
- "Harden is making only 33.3 percent of floaters this year, down from 46.7 percent over the past four seasons. When Harden gets into the paint, he lacks the bounce he had before."
- "Those types of statistical drops have transformed him from a generational outlier into just a regular All-Star."
Podcasts:
