NBA Playoffs: Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers Game One Prediction

The NBA Playoffs are set to begin this week. After months without basketball, the NBA found a way to finish the 2020 season. First, we saw an eight-game regular season to let players get back into shape. Now, we are heading into the playoffs.

The marquee matchup in the Eastern Conference is between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston is the higher seed. However, the 76ers are a dangerous team. Despite having stars like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the team underperformed through the regular season. Their chemistry was off and there was an evident lack of proper coaching by Brett Brown. Nonetheless, Philly is a very strong team even though Simmons is out with injury.

Boston has three players averaging over 20 points this season. Kemba Walker is a seasoned veteran that can make plays and enable the success of players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They have a terrific coach in Brad Stevens and are considered dark-horses to win the championship. The Sixers haven’t beaten Boston in a playoff series this millennium.

NBA Playoffs Boston vs Philadelphia: Who wins?

This is a very interesting matchup. While the 76ers are a low seed and have been subpar this season, the Celtics are probably the team they match best with. Boston doesn’t have a reliable big-man to challenge Embiid or even former players, Al Horford. Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter isn’t the best big-man rotation to rely on. Jayson Tatum is still developing his defensive game. With Simmons out, the team can add more perimeter centric players around Embiid, who on a good day is possibly the best center in the league.

Boston has four major offensive weapons if you also include Gordon Hayward. Walker’s fitness is still a question mark, but Philly doesn’t have a guard that could make a big defensive impact. However, the main area these teams differ in is coaching. Brett Brown has struggled to turn this Philly team into high-level contenders, while Stevens spent years over-achieving with his Celtics.

We predict that Philly falls short in this opening game. Boston’s offensive tools might frustrate the slow Philly defense. Brett Brown will be expected to adjust on the fly and respond to adversity by making adjustments, or else ‘The Process’ will be delayed for another season.