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.
Okay, you provided the glass half-empty viewpoint, so let me give the glass half-full. This was a game we lose 10 out of 10 times before this season - no wing depth, no adjustments, no rotational imagination, and total dependency on Embiid scoring to win a meaningful game.
Now we have the wing depth and athleticism we've been screaming for, a legitimate coach who understands how to adjust a scheme as well as the balls to put the right guys on the court in crunch time, and who thrives in playoff scenarios, a star just coming into his own, and winning veteran presence that can actually be left on the court in crunch time.
We showed we could win a game where Embiid was limited, yet he still contributed with clutch 3's when Nick had schemed a way to beat the zone, and a killer pass. That wing depth and athleticism never showed itself more than last night, as well as the winning veteran presence.
There are no guarantees, but I like the fact that this group can win without depending on Embiid, and could do it without even a big night from Maxey. That's how championship teams do it, with role players stepping up when needed and getting the job done. For all the pissing and moaning, and ripping of Morey around here, this is IMO the best shot the Sixers have had of really making noise in the Embiid era.
