At the top of his art, Joel Embiid hopes this season to lift the Sixers to the top of the NBA. As every year, the path is long and winding. He starts this Saturday against the Nets of his "enemy brother" Ben Simmons who cut short his season because of back problems.
Unlike the Western Conference, in the East the first-round playoff matchups are less undecided. The front-runners are clear favorites even if there is never a surprise in sight.
Joel Embiid, this year or never?
Third of the Conference, the Sixers do not have the right to flinch against a Brooklyn franchise in reconstruction with the departures in February of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Joel Embiid and his band must quickly fold this opposition and wait for their opponent in the semi-finals. The Cameroonian who has experienced several big disappointments in recent seasons seems to be on a mission. Face much firmer, he does not even smile on the floors. His obsession is the NBA championship.
Best scorer of the regular season for the second year in a row, The Process has literally crushed all his direct competitors during the season. They will have to press the same button in the playoffs to hope to go all the way.
Giannis' Bucks and the Miami trap
Without being a steamroller, Milwaukee can crush any opponent. The Bucks have, in fact, in their squad the greatest weapon of mass destruction in the NBA, in the person of Giannis Antetokounmpo. But watch out for the Wisconsin franchise that inherited Miami. The Heat have been bad this season and their two play-in games have confirmed their very serious difficulties. However, you should never underestimate a wounded beast with nothing left to lose. Eric Spoelstra has competitors capable of thwarting any team. And then Bam Adebayo can't continue to be as bad as he was in the playoffs.
Boston, the season of confirmation
Despite the dismissal of Ime Udoka for extra-sports issues, Boston proved that they can repeat their feat from last season and become Eastern Conference champions again. The Celtics finished in second place and the franchise's two big superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylun Brown are still going strong. For the first round of the playoffs, Atlanta may not be much of a threat. But by the semifinals, they could meet Joel Embiid's Sixers.
The Georges Niang and Vincent Gabe factor
Besides Joel Embiid and in the absence of his compatriot Pascal Siakam, the Senegalese Georges Niang and the Nigerian Vincent Gabe will be the Africans to follow in this Eastern Conference. The former is an important member of the Sixers' second unit. His defensive skills and his good three-point address can make him the X factor of Philadelphia in these play-offs. Vincent Gabe, promoted to the Heat's starting 5 because of Kyle Lowry's physical problems, will have to show a lot more than he did in the playoffs.
