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Sixerscan wrote:

FireMorey wrote:If Embiid played great, but the everyone else was awful I'd feel much better about the Knicks series. The fact that both Embiid and Maxey were meh and they needed a miracle Batum game and Butler to get hurt to beat a team they'd have been 8-10 wins better than in the regular season had Embiid not gotten hurt, has me concerned about the Knicks. Don't think they can win if that's the Embiid you're going to get.

The other stuff aside, the Knicks only won 4 more games than the Heat. They also lost to the heat in the playoffs last year with Butler missing a game/generally playing through an injury. Thibs isn’t Spolestra. The Heat have a history of punching above their weight in big games.

It should be a tight series that either team can win but I don’t see it as a huge jump in competition of anything.

If Joel is playing, there's no excuse not to beat that team.

I feel comfortable with all 3 options defending them. Playing everyone straight up to prevent them getting open 3s. Switching or loading up on Bronson to allow someone to be open

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Sixerscan wrote:

FireMorey wrote:If Embiid played great, but the everyone else was awful I'd feel much better about the Knicks series. The fact that both Embiid and Maxey were meh and they needed a miracle Batum game and Butler to get hurt to beat a team they'd have been 8-10 wins better than in the regular season had Embiid not gotten hurt, has me concerned about the Knicks. Don't think they can win if that's the Embiid you're going to get.

The other stuff aside, the Knicks only won 4 more games than the Heat. They also lost to the heat in the playoffs last year with Butler missing a game/generally playing through an injury. Thibs isn’t Spolestra. The Heat have a history of punching above their weight in big games.

It should be a tight series that either team can win but I don’t see it as a huge jump in competition of anything.

Thibs team's are overachievers in the regular season. Spo's in the postseason.

Miami deserves more respect, they have made the fricking Finals last year with the same core. And game 7 of the ECF the year before. And the Finals 2 years before that.....And they always have a mediocre regular season record. People disrespect is mind blowing. They are probed they not your typical 45 win regular season team.


On the other side, Thibbs overachieves in the regular season by making his teams play extra hard and his starters 40 mins a game. Also this Knicks team has lost his 2nd best player and the only other capable shot creator outside of Brunson. If we don't get outcoached (and with Nurse we won't) we should be able to adjust and create them a lot of problems offensively. Also we have the personnel to send different defenders/coverages/help at Brunson to make his life harder.

If Biid is reasonably healthy we should be favorites to win this series. It's probably going to be a close series but this Knicks team is far from a juggernaut and is not a serious championship contender. Barring injury we should be able to beat them.

The Sixers vs. Heat Play-In Game on Wednesday was the most watched Eastern Conference Play-In game ever — averaging 3.25 million viewers, ESPN announced.