The Philadelphia 76ers don’t appear satisfied with simply making the playoffs this season, their first trip to the postseason since 2012. After a pair of hard fought, and at times outwardly chippy, games in Miami went their way, the Sixers return to Philly up 3-1 in the series and on the brink of a trip to the second round.
There they would face either the Celtics or the Bucks, both of whom would be considered underdogs to the Sixers, which gives them a great chance of making the Eastern Conference Finals this season putting them well ahead of schedule. The obvious answer to why the Sixers are on this accelerated track to being a legit contender is the play of young superstars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid (along with some spectacular efforts from Dario Saric and others).
Philadelphia has a pair of cornerstone players in Simmons and Embiid and can rely on those two to simply overwhelm their opponents with athleticism and talent. However, what makes this young group in Philly so unique is that none of them seem to be shrinking under the spotlight, which has been the impressive thing for Dwyane Wade in going up against this Sixers group.
Wade spoke with reporters after Game 4 and complimented the Sixers’ team-building strategy but also highlighted how their young stars already have that edge and intensity needed to succeed in the postseason, via David Murphy of Philly.com.
“They’re special,” Dwyane Wade said after the Sixers took a 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven first round series with a 106-102 win at AmericanAirlines Arena on Saturday. “They put the right team together. I’ve said that multiple times.
“Ultimately, sometimes the playoffs becomes too big for certain guys, or some guys don’t know how to match the intensity of the playoffs, or whatever the case may be. They play that way already. They already play to that intense level. They have an edge to them, and I think this series has given everybody a little more edge as well because of the physicality of the series.”
It’s high praise from Wade, who can appreciate the way the Sixers are fighting against a Heat team that can’t match them in talent, but has enough veteran savvy and physicality to frustrate teams. That’s come through in some of the chippy nature of this series, but through it all both teams continue to make plays and big time buckets, with the Sixers having a significant advantage in the fourth quarters.
Few expected the Sixers to be this good this quickly, but Simmons and Embiid aren’t just otherworldly talents, they’re embracing the moment and the stage of the playoffs. That combination of talent and presence will make them an extremely difficult matchup for anyone this postseason, and the very top teams in either conference would be thrilled not to face Philly in a seven-game series right now.
