Maybe it's Sam Hinkie's time in Houston, maybe the roster, coach or a combination of all, but there is no doubt the 76ers are a 3pt heavy team with good defense like the Rockets. The main difference is their main ball handler cannot shoot thus relying on more cuts, body movement and ball movement as well as having Embiid to throw it to in the post. That being said, if you've watched all their first round games it's obvious they can win games with bad 3pt shooting because of their solid enough defense. Again, same goes for the Rockets. However, they have enough variety to their game to score, as not to rely too much on threes. They have had two great 3pt shooting games, which they both won and 3 horrendous ones of which they won 2. It helps to have Simmons, but particularly tonight in Game 5 they had cuts to the basket by several different guys which ended in an easy lay-up, foul or close-to-mid range shot. Saric, Belli, Ilyasova and might have had Reddick or TJ in there as well. The Heat defense of course has something to do with that as they really respect their 3pt shot, mainly Bellinelli, Ilyasova and of course the #1 shooter Reddick. The Rockets of course have some weapons of their own, mainly Harden and CP3 creating for themselves on isolation plays. It is a fine strategy and has worked out, but in my opinion if you look at the type of guys who touch the ball during a possession and get it on a cut to the basket they're not exceptionally / well known finishers at the rim, hardly ever dunk, not known for a mid-range game. To me, the Rockets could totally do it and it's a missed opportunity not to take advantage to at least try to get some more variety in their offense. Now I realise most teams will give our guys the 3pt shot given how we get those shots - hardly ever for a guy coming around a off-the ball screen -and the % we've shot it during the play-offs. It's something I'd like to see us add in the near future at least. While Gordon and Ryno can be amazing, Green can get hot and Ariza with 1 in every few games can get you 4-6, we do not have a guy like Reddick who shoot 42% on the year or Bellinelli who shot 38%. It's not just the percentages, Reddick has a quick release and can even hit them on a fade away at a high clip and Bellinelli can do that too, but also there's a threat of them taking a mid-to-long range two. Gordon is not a threat from 2 and neither is Ryno. Not necessarily because they can't, it's because we are so used to the 3 or lay-up strategy, that we will only go for those shots. Ryno's drives aside from those two dunks and the pump fake FT move usually end up in nothing and Gordon will only go for a lay-up. Gordon shot some 2s this series and he hasn't made one I believe. Since teams will stay home since our pick and roll with lobs to Capela and Harden or CP3 attacking is more dangerous and would open it up, it would be tough but could be done. Ryno and Gordon can shoot it from deep enough to provide that space for others to set off-the-ball screens to get someone open. It could still potentially be for a 3pt shot, but could also be an easy lay-up, which is preferable. It is not just that teams (would) pack the paint, it's our style of play, pace and Harden and CP3 who are just that good with the ball in their hands and want that. It should still be easy to get off the ball movement, more back cuts, screens and then it could still be in CP3 or Harden's hands to pass it to those guys. Just something that I think could make our offense more versatile and unpredictable to be even more reliable in the play-offs. Sometimes your legs are not there to hit a three and we've had quite a few air balls and clanks off the front iron in the play-offs so far. It would then be great to have guys who are a threat on cuts to the basket, a floater, a mid-range shot, a long range shot. It's all about variety and if those Sixers guys can do it, we sure can to. Just look at Ryno, he can hit that Dirk fade away inside the arc pretty well. Green is athletic enough to hit a floater and even dunk it off of a cut to the basket. It's just a matter of practice. Just some observation and thoughts. How do the open minded people feel about this? * I expect the usual attacks on my online persona / cyberbullying, snarky comments and just shorts posts to derail the thread. Please to the open minded and people who act like decent people on here, ignore them. Thank you
If somehow the 76rs make the finals, and the Rockets are there to play them. You simply end in a result of the Rockets 3rd championship. All bets are off by potentially next season. Especially the season after that. The 76rs and Celtics, health permitting are set up to dominate the NBA for several years.
Philly is looking a lot like Orlando in '94-'95. Maybe Embiid is not as dominant as Shaq was that year, but Penny doesn't have the ceiling of Simmons. Either way you cut it, both guys don't have the experience that Shaq and Penny had by the time they reached the Finals. They would be a worthy matchup at that stage, but whoever comes out of the West will be the favorites.
Where is the TL;DR cliff notes I the midst of a Rockets championship run, I ain't gonna read all that gibberish about Sixers
Fine, I'll say it Their UNIFORMS are 100000000000000 TIMES BETTER THAN OURS They went back to their HISTORY, DR J, MOSES etc, They brought the colors and logo that REPRESENTS THEIR CITY AND HISTORY Every Team, Utah, Philly, Golden State, etc have gone back to their roots and history We need to do the same Why do people keep wearing the Red and Yellow? Not cause they watched the old Rockets, it's just a better jersey Black and Red? That's the Blazers LES SUCKS
TLDR: Sixers are better than the rockets because they don't ignore the midrange, but the previous statement is only for idiots who don't trust the math.