[EC First Round] (1)Philadelphia vs. (8)Washington

If Embiid is out for a game or two, this series goes from bore to interesting pretty quick. I don't trust the rest of the Sixers one bit.

 

Yeah you know what? Embiid might be the real MVP of the year in the sense that without him the Sixers might actually be total trash.

 

I don't know if the 6ers supporting cast is complete trash I just think that they don't have a real go to player outside of Embiid.

Tobias can score sure but he's not your #1 guy...and Simmons...yeah.

 

I feel like having a big man as your franchise player is really rolling the dice. Lakers got lucky for one season with AD, now this seasons he was never healthy and out again for the playoffs.

Porzingus Gets Injured every other week, Embiid was out for a good amount of time.

Only Jokic is super durable.

 

I think we are underestimating the pace of the game's effect on the big men bodies. Since like the mid 90's, the pace of play has continued to increase with some plateauing at times. But that increase has skyrocketed over the past 4-5 years, matching the recent rise of the 3 point shooting and position-less basketball.

While big men in the 90's definitely took physical toll, it was more core and upper body blows from other big men or small guys trying to guard them. Big men today have to sprint back and forth way more times. And with more possessions per game, there are increasing attempts to try to block, rebound or shoot. All that extra running and jumping at 250+ pounds can really wear on joints and muscles. Additionally at that size, even minor injuries that guys want to play through can have a greater effect on other muscles and joints trying to compensate resulting in overloading and worse injuries. I think this condensed season may have worsened this effect because there is less time for players to recover and heal up between games.

It is a similar pattern as in the NFL over the past few years, where passing has sped up plays per game and distance travelled. So few OL and DL play full seasons anymore because of injuries, and even fewer can do it back to back or for multiple seasons.

Denver has had one of the slower pace of play rates since Jokic has been there, which may have helped him avert some of these trends. I also wonder if living and training at higher elevations has helped him and Gobert for the Jazz stay relatively healthy compared to other dominant big men.

 

Simmons' 4th quarter:

0 field goal attempt
4 / 8 - free throw (50%) - 4pts.
1 oreb
4 reb
2 assist
0 stl
0 block

 

Black Samurai!

 

Is it over, did Westbrook won a game?

 

Yep, kylie jenner or whatever her name is should dump that scrub.

 

Exactly. Act like you been here before.

 

@HP3

 

Dwight was like, "What's up, dude."

 

6ers should rest him then. They should be able to beat the Wizards without him and be motivated to get him some rest.

 

Scotty should go ahead and kill Ben Simmon's confidence and use every single bench player that won't be playing at all to foul Simmons and keep him at the line.

 

Ben Simmons somewhere punching the air.

 

I would like to see this. This would be so embarrassing if Simmons continues to shoot 25%