Experts' picks: Who will reach the East finals? https://es.pn/2W9fbJ5
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5 picked the C's, only 1 person thinks it is less than 6 games (he picked the Bucks in 5).
Only 2 picked the Sixers over the Raptors. That is pretty surprising as I figured that would be more of a toss up.
How would it be a toss up? Raptors won 7 more games than 76ers and have home court advantage. On top of that the 76ers have a pretty banged up Embiid and Leonard is the healthiest he has been. I think most would expect Toronto in 5.
But why doesn't that also apply to the Bucks/C's series? After all the Bucks have an even greater win advantage and obviously also have home court.
And to be clear, more of a toss up, does not mean a toss up. It means closer to a toss up than the other series as in I would have expected the experts to think the Sixers/Raptors would be closer than the Bucks/Celtics, especially with all of the trades Philly made and their pretty clear starting lineup advantage over the Raptors (though the Raptors have more depth and the best player in the series especially with Embiid not at full strength).
I don't think the Celtics should be considered a toss up for Bucks either. They should definitely be favored over us. I am not so sure why you would say the 76ers have a clear starting lineup advantage.
Gasol << Embid
Lowry = Simmons
Leonard >> Butler
Siakam > Harris
Danny Green = Reddick
For what it is worth, not even liberty ballers has the 76ers with a clear starting lineup advantage (https://www.libertyballers.com/2019/4/26/18518218/ranking-the-16-best-players-in-the-sixers-raptors-series). You add in that embiid is in really bad shape right now, and hard to see where they have an advantage
Side note, you still trying to argue Johathon Simmons is a quality rotation player after Brown benched him?
LibertyBallers took a big drop in quality when Derek Bodner and a couple others left a couple years ago. Having Harris below Gasol and Green is nonsense. I'd also question Siakam being rated 4th.
Regular season starting lineup comparisons.
Min Offrtg Defrtg Netrtg
Sixers starting 5: 161 119.0 101.4 17.6
Raptors starting 5: 161 119.5 107.3 12.2
Assuming Embiid is healthy, I'd take the Sixers starting 5. All of the Sixers 5 are offensive threats that have to be accounted for. Gasol and Green really aren't.
This strikes me as one of your "blindly jump in defend the 76ers post against some perceived injustice type posts" that honestly become difficult to tell exactly who and what you are arguing about. Moranis argued they had a clear starting 5 difference, which I disagreed with and broke down the starting 5's against each other and think they are pretty even.
Both teams had two all-stars (Lowry, Leonard, simmons and Embid). Both teams have a guy that could have been an all-star and have a good chance of being again in the future (I would be shocked if a healthy Siakam doesn't make team next year, and butler should too, Siakam improving Butler slightly declining). Than you have a very strong player in Gasol and Harris with Gasol declining and Harris improving/in his prime. Reddick and Green clearly both seem to very strong role players with Green maybe a slight advantage as a two player.
Again pretty even starting 5's, and that seems kind of hard to argue with. Is that what you are trying to argue?
Edit, it also seems bizarre to say a guy that is shooting 45% from 3 for the year doesn't need to be accounted for as an offensive player? Woof that is a rough take. Does he have to shoot the league record for 3pt% ? Gasol can score on the low post, from 3 and is a highly skiller passer, but is somehow less of an offensive threat than Reddick? That is a spicy take!
