Previewing the Toronto Raptors series against the Philadelphia 76ers
Raptors offense vs. 76ers defense
On paper, the 76ers should have one of the best defenses in the NBA.
They have three lengthy, athletic defenders in Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler who can switch across multiple positions; JJ Redick is limited, but smart and a solid enough team defender to get by; Joel Embiid is one of the league’s best rim-protecting centers and will likely make his second consecutive All-Defensive team this season.
Yet, the 76ers finished just 11th in the NBA in defensive efficiency(per cleaningtheglass). Great personnel doesn’t always lead to great execution, and the 76ers have failed to execute on several occasions this year. It’s easy to blame their lackluster defense on chemistry issues, but the 76ers have ranked near league average virtually all season.
One of the biggest reasons for the 76ers failure on defense is their struggles with Embiid off the floor. The 76ers allow 7.1 points less per 100 possessions when Embiid plays as opposed to when he sits (per ctg).
Embiid is one of the best rim-protectors in the entire NBA. He averages 2.7 blocks per 100 possessions, and even more importantly, teams are avoiding the rim all-together with him on the court. Opponents shot 5-percent less frequently at the rim with Embiid on the court. That ranks in the top 5-percentile at his position.
A dominant, rim-protecting Joel Embiid is something the Raptors will have to deal with less than most teams. After missing Game 3 of the Brooklyn Nets series, he’s clearly at least partially injured.
Even if he was 100-percent, Marc Gasol‘s and Serge Ibaka‘s range will drag him out of the paint more than most. Toronto can’t eliminate Embiid’s impact, but they can reduce it pretty significantly.
Another question for Philly is how long lumbering big man Boban Marjanovic can stay on the court. Against a quick, jumpshooting center like Serge Ibaka, I wouldn’t expect much. The 76ers may need to rely on Jonah Bolden more than they have so far this postseason.
Despite their poor production this year, Philadelphia does have the bodies to match up with Toronto on the perimeter. J.J. Redick can handle Danny Green without too many fits. Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons will trade off between Kyle and Kawhi. Tobias Harris isn’t a perfect match against Pascal Siakam, but he’s big and athletic enough to hold his own.
Player-for-player the 76ers have enough talent to match up reasonably well with Toronto on this side of the ball. But after failing to produce all season, why should we expect them to slow down a top-five offense at this point?