The Philadelphia 76ers will face Nick Nurse and his Toronto Raptors in round one of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Not a matchup the Sixers were hoping for as their only defender Matisse Thybulle is ineligible to play in every road game in the series, per ESPN. The unvaccinated wing will be missed and makes the Sixers first two home games that much more important.
The Raptors have a great mix of length and defensive versatility with a couple of knock down 3-point shooters. Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet are never afraid to let it fly from beyond the arc. Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, OG and others provide length and rebounding.
The Sixers and Raptors will wage battle in the first round. Who has to step up for Philadelphia?
Following the team’s victory in their final game over the Pistons, Paul Reed aka “Bball Paul” shined. Tallying 25 points is a career-high for the former G League MVP. Doc Rivers, rather than celebrating this achievement, not only downplayed it but talked down to the fans and media, per Austin Krell of The Painted Lines.
”I have been here a long time, I think I know better.”
Proving once again Ben Simmons may not have been the most arrogant guy we had in the locker room. Doc said the following:
“When teams go small, we will go with Paul, when teams go big, we will go with DJ. Does everybody understand that? Is it a hard concept? We’re not going on a Paul Reed victory tour, we’re trying to win a world championship.”
Well maybe Doc Rivers should take a tour to the Film Room because he will see that DJ provides little to nothing. It’s not to knock him as a person or locker room guy or to his career for that matter. But DJ’s career is ending as Paul Reed’s is just getting started. BBall Paul will be a huge factor in this Toronto series if he’s even given the opportunity. That is where the concern lies with the fans right now.
Listed at 6-foot-9, Paul Reed is only two inches shorter than “big” Deandre Jordan, listed at 6-foot-11….
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