If Jimmy Butler plays the bad guy, Tobias Harris has a chance to play the hero

play

The Sixers must dramatically reduce their sense play of time now that Joel Embiid is on the sidelines indefinitely.

Regardless of how optimistic they are, they cannot be concerned about or anticipate Joel Embiid’s return to the playoffs.

There’s no time to think almost what might have been if the Sixers had been able to retain both Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris in that fateful summer of 2019. Only one of the first two games in South Beach next week must be won by Philadelphia.

When the second-round series comes to Broad St., they may at least check in on Embiid’s progress.

Of course, the Sixers completed two big moves in 2019.

Butler brought it in November of 2018. They finally got Harris a few months later. In June of 2019, they decided to play around the latter.

In Philadelphia, Jimmy Butler is now a class-A villain. Harris has a reputation for being the nice guy (but not necessarily in a positive light).

In round one, though, the Long Island native was perhaps the Sixers’ play most pleasant surprise and steady performer.

Doc Rivers, the head coach, told reporters in Toronto, “Tobias was terrific.” “You’ll look at Tyrese [Maxey], James [Harden], and Joel in terms of numbers, but Tobias might’ve been the most useful player in this series.” Guarding [Pascal] Siakam is not simple, and he did it with vim and a terrific fight throughout.”

For the Sixers, Harris stepped up his play at the perfect moment. The team’s loud and emotional leader, the resident ironman, burst out just in time. At first, it wasn’t easy.

Following The Beard’s team debut, Harris scored less than 15 points in 10 of his first 20 games.

For the Sixers, Harris stepped up his game at the perfect moment. The team’s loud and emotional leader, the resident ironman, burst out just in time. At first, it wasn’t easy. Following The Beard’s team debut, Harris scored less than 15 points in 10 of his first 20 games.

He now has a far more difficult task. Harris, Tyrese Maxey, and James Harden will have to take Butler’s Heat’s home court away without the man who would have been the greatest player in the series (if not the entire playoffs).

Joel’s broken orbital bone, his third in his career going back to his Kansas days, was “obviously horrible news to absorb,” Harris said during practice Saturday. “As a group, we want him to become fit and better, and we’ll be ready whenever that happens.”

But, after the day, it’s all about the following man-up mindset and sticking to the game plan,” Harris said.

Also read: Rockets 2022 NBA Offseason Preview

Leave a Reply