RD2: #5 Atlanta Hawks vs. #1 Philadelphia 76ers

[Real Deal]

[Real Deal]

After today's win, I think the Hawks could make this a long series.  Would I have said that yesterday?  Nope!

My original pick was the Sixers in six games, and I'll stick to that.  My new, unofficial pick?  Sixers in seven.  Trae Young has to turn human at some point.  He had a couple of games against the Knicks where he struggled to shoot a little, and I can see that happening again, but the Sixers will capitalize on it (unlike New York).

We found out, really quick, that nobody can defend Joel Embiid when he gets a foot into the paint.  Barbeque chicken.  His drop step alone puts him in a position to go up with it, but he can add an Olajuwon flare to his pump fakes, and he can also fade away from the basket and take a high-percentage jumper.

Defensively, I think Atlanta will have their hands full, and I believe that's where they will lose the series.  If Ben Simmons doesn't miss 7/10 free throws, and if the team learns how to defend the three (20 made threes by the Hawks, just 10 by Philly), the results would've been different.

[Cobb]

Yeah, I'd agree re: Trae reverting to the mean at some point considering you won't see Danny Green guarding him for nearly the entire first half like in Game 1.

I'm far from Trae's biggest fan, but man is he [expletive]ing awesome and I've love to see the Hawks pull off a win in the series.