They have been counted out on so many occasions. Yet the Wizards are here. They are in the playoffs again after sitting in the last place in the conference at a point in this year. Then there is Philly. A team that has been a steady contender behind Doc Rivers with Joel Embiid having an MVP caliber season. Ben Simmons will also be featured on the other side of the ball as a great defender. Simmons vs Westbrook or Bradley Beal will be an awesome matchup to watch throughout the year. A lot of people are saying that the Wizards need perfection to beat the 76ers. I don’t agree with this at all. I truly believe that the Wizards are a much better team in these past few games. Let’s Rewind that Tape to see who wins this series.
The most important thing for Philly is to make sure that they don’t get ahead of themselves in this series. The 76ers have beat the Wizards in all three games this year making it pretty tough to make a case for Washington. The biggest actual key will be getting Embiid involved and to the free-throw line. He has been dominant from the free-throw line against the Wizards this year and it will be important to do so again. He is having such a great year that it will be difficult to stop him without a star big on the other side. No offense to Len, but he is going to have his hands full throughout the series. Another thing for the 76ers is. if they can shoot well they will be able to get through this series. Players like Harris, Green, and Curry will all be important in this series. Curry was dominant in last year’s playoffs while being a part of the Dallas Mavericks.
On the other side, the X factor is simply going to be Russell Westbrook. He’s been getting triple-doubles in almost every game and has been dominant throughout the Wizard’s success. It is no secret that he is one of the primary reasons that the Wizards are playing at the level that they are. If he can get going in the series there is no reason that the 76ers should be able to get through them easily. We all know Bradley Beal is going to step up and that he was going to score points in each series. The real question is whether Russ can continue his success throughout each and every game. The Wizards also have to put pressure on their role players to continue to step up, this is no easy series for them. I did say that I think the Wizards are a much better team, and that is completely true. The real question for Washington is whether they can continue the momentum that they have.
This is going to be a fun series to watch. The main storyline which we haven’t really talked about much is Embiid versus Russell Westbrook. It is no secret that they have had their rivalries in the past and should continue it should be a lot of fun to watch. The NBA strives on entertainment and if you’re looking for something entertaining this is your series. Both sides have been in this position and they so badly want to win. Beal stayed in Washington because he believes that they have a shot. Joel has been waiting for this moment ever since he stepped onto the court after the Raptor’s loss. From the depths of Washington to the shooting for Philly I think this series will ultimately go to six games. The winner will ultimately be the 76ers although I wouldn’t be shocked if Russ and Beal pulled an upset here.
Top Picture from Keith Allison