1 advantage the Toronto Raptors have over every Atlantic rival
By Mike Luciano
Philadelphia 76ers: Chemistry
The 76ers are a more talented team than the Raptors right now. For all of the criticism of Ben Simmons, he’s an elite defender, and Joel Embiid has emerged as one of the best players in the game. Tobias Harris is a perfect tertiary scorer, and Doc Rivers is a quality coach. What’s stopping them?
It might be themselves. Embiid and Simmons have a bit of a frosty relationship right now, and Rivers doesn’t even know if the LSU standout is the right point guard for Philadelphia. When paired with the fact Embiid has missed 42 games over the last two years, the boat is rocking in Philly.
New ESPN story: Doc Rivers said Monday that Ben Simmons is prepared to do the work to fix his shot this summer — and that the Sixers have the plan to do it. “I believe we know what the right work is, and the right type of work, and the right way to do it.”https://t.co/AFH5JOuiFW
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 21, 2021
The Raptors appear to have a much more stable setup than Philadelphia.
Harris has acknowledged in the past that the team had chemistry issues, and Simmons returning to the lineup after a de facto trade request and a fractured relationship with Embiid could create some issues that spill over onto the court.
Lowry is gone, but the Raptors appear to be unified in their pursuit of success behind Vanleet, Scottie Barnes, and Pascal Siakam. Of course, even if everything is peaches and cream in Philly, Toronto could use their positionless lineup to run circles around a bigger 76ers unit.