Hawks vs. 76ers playoff preview: Joel Embiid’s knee injury, Trae Young’s offensive output among top storylines

Loads can change over the course of some months. On March 1, the Atlanta Hawks had been 14-20 and, in eleventh place within the Jap Convention, not even positioned to make the play-in event. The Philadelphia 76ers, in the meantime, had been using excessive because the convention’s No. 1 seed at 23-12. They haven’t surrendered that perch since, however the margin between them and their competitors has shrunk. Since that date, the 76ers are 30-12. The Hawks are 31-12.

Atlanta’s success below Nate McMillan ought to have erased any notion that Philadelphia would have a simple street to the Jap Convention finals, however the problem they’re set to face within the second spherical solely grew extra daunting in Recreation 4 of their first-round collection towards the Washington Wizards. Joel Embiid went down with what the 76ers are calling a small tear in his proper meniscus. The timeline for his return is unclear. 

Rapidly, Atlanta could enter its second consecutive collection as a decrease seed with the most effective participant within the collection. The Hawks simply proved they’re able to scoring towards an elite protection, and so they took two out of the three street video games they performed at Madison Sq. Backyard. With out Embiid’s assured manufacturing, the 76ers are in critical hazard of getting knocked out within the second spherical. Right here’s every thing that you must find out about their collection with the Hawks as they try to advance to the convention finals with or with out their greatest participant. 

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(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks 

Sequence tied 3-3

*If obligatory

Will Joel Embiid be wholesome sufficient to play?

Philadelphia can win this collection with out Embiid, however it is going to be considerably more durable. The Sixers had been 11.9 factors per 100 possessions worse when Embiid was on the bench in the course of the common season, however that stat is deceptive due to Philadelphia’s poor bench. The stretch the 76ers will attempt to emulate is the one which got here after Embiid’s solely main harm of the season. From March 12, together with the sport he bought harm, by April 1, Philadelphia went 8-3. Shake Milton averaged over 15 factors per recreation in that stretch, although. He scored solely 17 factors within the first spherical, whole. 

That’s the nature of Philadelphia’s bench. Generally it’s Milton. Generally it’s Furkan Korkmaz. Generally it’s Tyrese Maxey, who gave the Sixers three double-digit scoring outings towards the Wizards. With out Embiid, Philadelphia should be adaptable with these function gamers and trip the new hand. 

They’ve already proven outstanding flexibility in relation to their beginning lineup. With Embiid out in Recreation 5 towards the Wizards, Philadelphia didn’t flip to backup heart Dwight Howard or energy ahead Mike Scott. No, they performed small and put Matisse Thybulle in Embiid’s place for the sake of perimeter protection. Count on them to make the identical selection early on this collection. Trae Younger ran wild towards the Knicks, and whereas Ben Simmons most likely might defend him, asking him to whereas additionally producing most of Philadelphia’s pictures on offense can be an excessive amount of for a single star to deal with. If Thybulle takes on the Younger matchup, Simmons can operate extra like a middle defensively and some extent guard offensively. 

That’s how they’ll must play to tread water with out Embiid, however in reality, their championship hopes relaxation on his return. The 76ers would possibly have the ability to escape this spherical with out their greatest participant, however Brooklyn or Milwaukee received’t be as forgiving. 

Can the Sixers do what the Knicks couldn’t?

How they arrived at this level is remarkably totally different, however the Knicks and 76ers had very comparable shot profiles in the course of the common season. The Knicks ranked twenty seventh in 3-point makes an attempt and the 76ers ranked twenty sixth, however each groups made the 3-pointers that they took. The Knicks ranked third in 3-point proportion by making 39.2 p.c of their makes an attempt whereas Philadelphia tied for tenth at 37.4 p.c.

Atlanta guess towards New York’s taking pictures by packing the paint and daring New York’s shooters to beat them. The Knicks went chilly, making solely 32.1 p.c of their open 3-pointers within the collection. Julius Randle struggled mightily as soon as Atlanta turned him right into a shooter, and the Hawks will certainly deploy comparable ways towards Ben Simmons. If Thybulle is beginning, the Hawks aren’t going to protect him, and when Simmons is off-ball, Atlanta will sag off of him as effectively. 

Philly has shooters that the Hawks can’t go away alone. Seth Curry scored 30 within the Recreation 5 win over Washington and he’ll rain hearth on the Hawks if Atlanta lets him. However Philadelphia has by no means proven a willingness to shoot on the quantity they’ll must as a way to rating sufficient factors to win towards a packed paint. Doc Rivers should both decide to taking pictures extra 3-pointers or scheme another option to generate the offense Philadelphia wants. 

Trae’s true take a look at

The Knicks could have had the NBA’s fourth-best protection, however it wasn’t one constructed round any single elite defender. Reggie Bullock and Derrick Rose are usually not outfitted to deal with a scorer like Younger. However Thybulle and Simmons are. Younger held his personal towards them within the common season, averaging 29 factors on 50 p.c taking pictures in two video games, however the playoffs are one other animal, and Atlanta’s supporting forged goes to be put to the take a look at with Philadelphia’s two defensive stars hounding Younger. 

Bogdan Bogdanovic seemed as much as the duty earlier within the season. He averaged 22 factors in his final 22 regular-season video games with an absurd taking pictures effectivity, however he regressed to the imply towards the Knicks. Atlanta skated by as a result of the remainder of the group didn’t. Atlanta made 7.6 wide-open 3-pointers per recreation within the first spherical, trailing solely Utah. That quantity might be going to dip as effectively. To make up for it, the Hawks are going to half to attain extra within the paint. Atlanta scored solely 39.2 of them per recreation towards the Knicks, the fourth-fewest within the first spherical. 

Watch for the way Philadelphia aligns its defenders. If Thybulle takes on Younger, don’t be shocked if Simmons spends time guarding John Collins for precisely this purpose. Apart from limiting him individually, it could additionally give the 76ers the choice to change the Younger-Collins pick-and-roll. In fact, taking this strategy would depart Tobias Harris on Clint Capela, which raises different considerations. These matchup choices are going to go a great distance in dictating who wins this collection. Younger isn’t going to hold the Hawks by himself.