WEBVTT - Special Edition 76ers Playoff Preview 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.480 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:03.720 --> 0:00:13.480 search seventy Sixers Insiders wherever you get your podcasts day Everybody, 0:00:13.520 --> 0:00:24.000 I Love yea seventy six Hello, Hello, Hello, and welcome 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:28.520 in to another Sixers Twitter spaces. We are here to 0:00:28.640 --> 0:00:32.800 preview the playoffs on this Twitter space and seventy Sixers 0:00:32.880 --> 0:00:37.520 Insiders podcast presented by Bett Parks. I am Lauren Rosen. 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:40.919 Devon Gibbons is joining me, Matt Murphy is joining me. 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:43.320 Let's get through some of the ground rules. We're doing 0:00:43.360 --> 0:00:46.040 this live on Twitter spaces right now. We are also 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:48.240 going to repurpose this and put it on the seventy 0:00:48.240 --> 0:00:50.879 Sixers Insiders podcast Speed, So if you're not subscribed to 0:00:50.920 --> 0:00:53.000 that podcast Speed, if you're not following along, you can 0:00:53.080 --> 0:00:55.640 do so wherever you get your podcasts. If you have 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:57.920 to leave early, you can listen to the rest of 0:00:57.960 --> 0:01:00.720 the conversation there. If you join us so late, you 0:01:00.720 --> 0:01:02.880 can always catch up on the first half on the 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:05.560 seventy six Ers Insiders podcast feed. This will be the 0:01:05.760 --> 0:01:10.000 first of many, we hope in this twenty twenty two 0:01:10.000 --> 0:01:12.640 playoff run. So excited as always to talk to you 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:15.880 guys about your team, your seventy Sixers, so as always, 0:01:15.880 --> 0:01:18.039 please send us dms, you can tweet at us, you 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:21.120 can send us dms. Mine are always open as we 0:01:21.160 --> 0:01:23.600 receive your questions, and you guys can sort of choose 0:01:23.600 --> 0:01:25.759 your own adventure for the next thirty minutes or so 0:01:25.959 --> 0:01:29.080 as we all hang out together on Twitter spaces. Again, 0:01:29.160 --> 0:01:32.240 Welcome in to another Twitter space, seventy six Ers Insiders 0:01:32.240 --> 0:01:34.520 podcast presented by Bett Parks. We are so excited to 0:01:34.560 --> 0:01:36.720 do these with you guys throughout this playoff run, so 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:39.640 send us your questions now and without further ado, I'd 0:01:39.640 --> 0:01:42.960 love to welcome my partners in crime, Matt Murphy, Devon gives, 0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:47.400 good afternoon, good evening. What's up Miss Rosen, What's up 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:50.960 Devon Gibbons, Lauren. I love the unofficial intro and then 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:54.440 the official intro. I think the podcast listeners will only 0:01:54.480 --> 0:01:58.080 get the official introduction there. But it's good to be 0:01:58.120 --> 0:02:01.120 back on sixers Twitter spaces, and for the podcast listeners 0:02:01.160 --> 0:02:05.000 who aren't here live on Twitter a little bit of 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:08.000 a different start time, so it is an afternoon post 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:11.560 work six or Twitter spaces. I'm excited to hear what 0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:15.040 everyone out there has to say. Again, send us your comments, 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:17.240 and questions, and we'll get to all of those, but 0:02:17.600 --> 0:02:20.360 the excitement is ramping up. It's cool to see all 0:02:20.360 --> 0:02:24.320 the activations throughout the city as the Philla Unite campaign 0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:28.040 for the twenty twenty two playoffs presented by at Parks 0:02:28.200 --> 0:02:31.240 kind of take shape, and with each passing day, the 0:02:31.320 --> 0:02:34.960 excitement for Game one between the fourth seeded Sixers and 0:02:35.000 --> 0:02:39.040 fifth seeded Toronto Raptors builds. Devon Gibbons, how are you doing. 0:02:39.120 --> 0:02:42.399 What's the energy you've been picking up on from everybody, 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:44.960 whether they're calling in to ninety seventy five, the fanatic 0:02:45.000 --> 0:02:47.880 people you're talking to in other places. What's the vibe 0:02:48.120 --> 0:02:50.320 right now and how are you doing? I'm doing great, 0:02:50.440 --> 0:02:52.680 always great to be bank here with you all and 0:02:52.760 --> 0:02:56.000 everyone here in the spaces. The vibe that I've been 0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:58.960 getting is a majority, of course of six or fans 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:03.280 feeling confident against this Raptors team in this matchup of 0:03:03.360 --> 0:03:06.600 the four or five seeds, but you know, also looking 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:10.000 at things and saying that, hey, this Toronto Raptors team 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:12.639 also gave the Sixes a little bit of trouble. So 0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:16.400 a while confident in the very end, still a little 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:20.280 trepidation of how it will all play out with this 0:03:20.320 --> 0:03:24.000 team being so tough to handle four the seventy Sixers, 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:26.440 so looking forward to it. It's been a long week 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:30.200 with this time in between, with the play in games 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:34.360 happening as well. Cannot wait until Saturday, six o'clock and 0:03:34.440 --> 0:03:37.920 it's a best of seven. Devon Gibbons looking forward very 0:03:37.960 --> 0:03:40.000 much to getting back into the playoffs. It feels like 0:03:40.040 --> 0:03:43.600 all season long everything has sort of been leading to this. 0:03:43.760 --> 0:03:47.240 Because everything has been leading to this. You mentioned excitement, 0:03:47.280 --> 0:03:51.600 you mentioned trepidation, it's worth noting as we set the scene, 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:53.680 this will be the first time that the Sixers and 0:03:53.720 --> 0:03:57.040 the Raptors meet in the playoffs since Game seven a 0:03:57.120 --> 0:04:01.160 couple of years ago. The quadruple bounced that put the 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:05.160 Raptors in motion to win their NBA title, sent the 0:04:05.200 --> 0:04:08.480 seventy Sixers home. It was a tough moment, there is 0:04:08.560 --> 0:04:11.040 no doubt about that, But there are some Sixers on 0:04:11.080 --> 0:04:15.200 this team that remember that moment with great clarity and 0:04:15.240 --> 0:04:18.960 are looking forward to another swing at the same opponent. 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:21.480 I'm looking forward to just that as well, and it's 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:23.720 going to be an exciting series as the four five 0:04:23.839 --> 0:04:27.080 matchup tends to be so matt when you look at 0:04:27.120 --> 0:04:29.400 these two teams, I want to kick it to you first, 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:32.120 you and I along with Devon, we've covered four regular 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:34.760 season matchups between the two between these two teams, and 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:37.560 yes the Raptors got the majority of them, but not 0:04:37.600 --> 0:04:40.880 everybody available in any of those matchups. So very interesting 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:43.400 it's going to be to see what these teams look 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:46.200 like when they come when they round the corner at 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:49.599 full force, in full form in these playoffs. What excites 0:04:49.640 --> 0:04:53.320 you most? These are two teams with such different strengths, 0:04:53.360 --> 0:04:57.960 such different weaknesses, and very different leaders when it comes 0:04:58.000 --> 0:05:00.720 to on court play. So what sites you most when 0:05:00.720 --> 0:05:02.440 you sort of zoom out and look at this first 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:06.479 round series ahead, Matt Well with no box score to 0:05:06.480 --> 0:05:09.200 go over, as we're usually on here after a Sixers win, 0:05:09.320 --> 0:05:12.120 and we will be on here after games the day 0:05:12.120 --> 0:05:14.800 after playoff games as well, but this is usually for 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:16.920 anyone who's new, where we go over the stats from 0:05:16.920 --> 0:05:19.600 the previous contest. So we'll fill a little bit of 0:05:19.600 --> 0:05:22.480 time and then we definitely want to hear what everybody 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:25.680 else has to say about this Sixers Raptors series as well. 0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:28.520 But to answer your question to me, it's just this 0:05:28.600 --> 0:05:31.080 feels the most like a second round matchup to me, 0:05:31.080 --> 0:05:32.480 and I guess that's the nature of the four or 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:35.599 five game, right. So you're talking middle of the conference, 0:05:35.640 --> 0:05:38.400 and it was such a tight Eastern Conference race this year, 0:05:38.440 --> 0:05:41.080 but it really doesn't feel like the first round matchups 0:05:41.120 --> 0:05:45.120 of years past in recent years for the Philadelphia seventy Sixers. 0:05:45.160 --> 0:05:47.599 I think that the number one thing for me in 0:05:47.680 --> 0:05:51.120 attending practice, and we've all been there, Lauren, You, me 0:05:51.440 --> 0:05:54.159 Devon have been at practice, have been at practice media 0:05:54.760 --> 0:05:59.599 all week is seeing how Joel Embiid responds or rises 0:05:59.600 --> 0:06:02.320 to the occasion. In this series. We have to I 0:06:02.360 --> 0:06:05.400 think start with the scoring champ of the season this year, 0:06:05.560 --> 0:06:09.000 Joel embiad thirty plus points per game against a team 0:06:09.000 --> 0:06:12.560 like the Raptors who historically defends him in unique ways, 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:16.159 double teams, triple teams. It seems like that's been a 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:19.200 focus for the Sixers, how they react to those, how 0:06:19.240 --> 0:06:21.920 Embiid reacts to those. He's coming off a career season 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:25.280 four assists in addition to the scoring title. That's what 0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:29.760 I'm looking at first and foremost is Embad's impact. How 0:06:29.800 --> 0:06:33.560 he reacts to what Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors 0:06:33.880 --> 0:06:36.680 coaching staff does to him, and that's been a major 0:06:36.760 --> 0:06:40.640 talking point all week. Devon is kind of how mbid 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:44.440 what he's learned from games passed against Toronto and how 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:47.880 he will use that going forward into this series. Sure, 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:51.159 and I agree with you that that's my number one 0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:53.440 and I think that maybe for a lot of people, 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:56.760 just because of the season he has had as the 0:06:56.800 --> 0:07:00.360 scoring champ, the conversation of the MVP offs, THEES long 0:07:00.440 --> 0:07:02.920 and also just having this team finish in the top 0:07:02.960 --> 0:07:05.359 four in the Eastern Conference tie for the second overall 0:07:05.720 --> 0:07:09.239 best record in the East. After everything that took place 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:13.040 this season, it all starts with him because he, along 0:07:13.120 --> 0:07:15.080 with maybe a few others, have been here as Lauren 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:19.800 mentioned for the Raptors series following the twenty eighteen nineteen season, 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:22.520 but also Joel Embiach is being here for all the 0:07:22.600 --> 0:07:25.360 second round exits that they've had since he started to 0:07:25.400 --> 0:07:28.480 play in the postseason for this team. So it all 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:31.000 really relies on him as the leader, and he talks 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:33.760 about it so much and wanting to win the championship 0:07:33.760 --> 0:07:37.320 as much as he does. But if I may, I'll 0:07:37.360 --> 0:07:39.840 go and give my answer what I'm looking forward to 0:07:40.000 --> 0:07:42.800 since Matt you took the mb part, which many of us, 0:07:43.160 --> 0:07:45.200 of course, we'll agree. I'm sure others will agree with 0:07:45.240 --> 0:07:49.160 me as well. When we talk about James Harden, this 0:07:49.200 --> 0:07:51.040 is why you make the trade. You make the trade 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:54.200 to bringing a difference maker, a type of player to 0:07:54.200 --> 0:07:56.920 tag along with Joel eb and everyone else. And that's 0:07:56.920 --> 0:07:59.720 not to minimize their roles on this team, but we 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:02.760 when we're talking about a future Hall of Famer, a 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:06.240 top seventy five player who's still playing at a high level, 0:08:06.280 --> 0:08:10.360 as he mentioned in his introductory press conference, this is 0:08:10.400 --> 0:08:14.360 why you bring him in for series like this where 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:18.400 it's such a close matchup and then the rounds thereafter. 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:22.119 So I am going to have my eye on James 0:08:22.160 --> 0:08:24.800 Harden and see how much of a difference he makes 0:08:24.920 --> 0:08:28.600 in this series where he would tip the Sixers over 0:08:28.680 --> 0:08:34.760 the edge against this Raptors team in this round one. Hey, 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:37.920 it's Joe Conklin joined me for Conklin's comedy. United Parks 0:08:37.920 --> 0:08:41.200 Casino the number one casino in Pennsylvania and the official 0:08:41.240 --> 0:08:44.800 local casino partner if you are Philadelphia seventy sixers, tune 0:08:44.800 --> 0:08:48.160 into seventy Sixers games for special Parks Casino offers for 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:50.760 fans watch all the action on the big screens in 0:08:50.800 --> 0:08:53.520 the Liberty Balgastro Pop or the Beer Garden and come 0:08:53.600 --> 0:08:56.400 see me live with comedians from all across the country 0:08:56.400 --> 0:08:59.400 in three sixty at Parks Casino. He's at Parks Casino 0:08:59.480 --> 0:09:06.040 dot com tickets. I want to go ahead and dive 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:08.719 straight into our direct messages. Thank you everybody that's sent 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:11.080 a DM, that sent questions. There are comments as well 0:09:11.120 --> 0:09:13.360 that we are going to go through. But the first 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:14.920 thing I wanted to do, we talked about it off 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:16.880 the top. I love how many people are able to 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:19.280 listen to these internationally. It's one of our favorite things 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:22.400 is connecting with the Sixers family around the world. So 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:27.400 James Bond says, I'm from South Africa, Carol says, it's 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:33.240 after midnight in Kenya. Clown Baby checking in from Gold Coast, Australia. 0:09:33.440 --> 0:09:37.400 Two Bore checking in from Nigeria. So thank you all 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:40.480 of you wherever you are, for listening, for engaging, for 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:44.160 sending us your questions, for participating. It's so so cool. 0:09:44.200 --> 0:09:46.200 I mean, here in Philadelphia, Matt mentioned it off the top. 0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:49.320 There were buses going around the city today throwing out 0:09:49.360 --> 0:09:52.320 some Sixers swag. There have been playoff flags lowered in 0:09:52.360 --> 0:09:54.800 my neighborhood. It's been really really cool to watch the 0:09:54.840 --> 0:09:58.080 Philadelphia community get ready to embrace this team. But seeing 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:02.559 you guys do so international is just so exciting. I'm 0:10:02.800 --> 0:10:05.880 incredibly geeked. Please let us know where you're from, and 0:10:05.960 --> 0:10:08.880 thank you for letting us know. The question that I 0:10:08.960 --> 0:10:13.240 wanted to go to right away was from Tubor who 0:10:13.280 --> 0:10:16.800 said they're listening from Nigeria and says will Embi'd be 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:19.439 healthy throughout the playoffs. He's quite important to the team, 0:10:19.720 --> 0:10:22.040 hasn't had a ton of rest this season, has struggled 0:10:22.080 --> 0:10:24.520 with health in the past. That's a question that we've 0:10:24.520 --> 0:10:27.719 gotten a lot of, and obviously there is absolutely no 0:10:27.800 --> 0:10:31.480 way to project what is going to happen healthwise with 0:10:31.520 --> 0:10:34.840 any player on any team throughout any period of these playoffs. 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:36.440 But I figured it was an interesting place to start 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:39.840 because today at practice, Joel Embid addressed the media and 0:10:39.880 --> 0:10:42.000 he talked about the fact that he actually feels better 0:10:42.040 --> 0:10:44.960 than ever, having played more games than he has ever 0:10:45.040 --> 0:10:47.640 played in his NBA career. If you're new here, you 0:10:47.720 --> 0:10:50.400 might not remember that Joel didn't play in his first 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:53.040 two NBA seasons. He was hardly able to play in 0:10:53.040 --> 0:10:55.240 those first two seasons due to injury, and then has 0:10:55.280 --> 0:10:59.439 slowly been ramping up his games per season ever since. 0:10:59.440 --> 0:11:01.760 But this year he's played more games than he has 0:11:01.800 --> 0:11:05.480 ever played before, and today he addressed exactly that. He 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:09.120 said he's never felt better physically than he does right now. 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:12.360 He wishes he hadn't had to sit any games this season. 0:11:12.440 --> 0:11:14.800 He of course, missed a few due to COVID nineteen 0:11:14.840 --> 0:11:17.959 and that was the hardest part of Joel's season this year, 0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:20.640 or so he says. So I'm very much excited to 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:22.800 see what he's able to do in this playoff run 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:27.120 with much more let's say, with more run, of course, 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:29.360 which maybe you think might mean that he'll be a 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:32.280 little tired. That's not what Joel Embiad has projected at all. 0:11:32.320 --> 0:11:34.280 He says he feels better than ever. And I was 0:11:34.320 --> 0:11:38.320 really intrigued by that take. Matt Devon, you were both there, 0:11:38.440 --> 0:11:41.480 your thoughts on how different this season has been for 0:11:41.559 --> 0:11:44.880 Joel Embiid ahead of a playoff run compared to the 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:48.960 other playoffs that he's entered earlier in his career. It's 0:11:49.000 --> 0:11:52.720 really been great to see Joel play so much this season, 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.360 and since we were all there and Harden and Embiid 0:11:55.960 --> 0:11:59.520 spoke today, Embiid really spoke at length. I think for 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:03.040 me it was like the leadership component of all of this. 0:12:03.120 --> 0:12:05.520 So he's in the lineup, he's doing his thing, he's 0:12:05.520 --> 0:12:08.920 putting up his numbers, huge numbers, and then his teammates 0:12:08.920 --> 0:12:13.760 are complimenting his leadership abilities, his growth as a leader 0:12:14.120 --> 0:12:17.319 over the years, even young players like Tyrese Maxie. All week, 0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:22.040 the leadership conversation has stood out to me as well 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:26.679 availability being a leader, being the leader of this team, 0:12:26.720 --> 0:12:29.880 teaming up with James Harden, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxie heading 0:12:29.880 --> 0:12:32.800 into this postseason series with Toronto. I think some of 0:12:32.800 --> 0:12:37.120 the stuff that Joel said about challenging guys including Tobias 0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:40.040 Harris at practice, it seemed like they really had the 0:12:40.200 --> 0:12:44.959 right energy, especially at today's practice. James Harden used the 0:12:44.960 --> 0:12:48.640 word yelling, meaning on the practice floor at one another, 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:53.319 and Joel said had a funny comment about locking up Tobias, 0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:56.240 but how they were all encouraging each other, getting on 0:12:56.280 --> 0:12:58.800 each other and trying to make each other better. That 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:02.280 was my main takeaway out Mbid as a leader Matt, 0:13:02.360 --> 0:13:04.280 that was one of my favorite moments coming out of 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:07.400 practice today. Doc Rivers also echoed that today was maybe 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:09.600 one of the more spirited practices that this team has 0:13:09.600 --> 0:13:11.240 had this season. He called it a little bit of 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:14.080 a turning point in terms of execution on both ends 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:16.560 of the floor. Four, the sixers, and worth noting that 0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:19.760 those sixers now have practiced three consecutive days. They'll practice 0:13:19.800 --> 0:13:22.400 again tomorrow, They'll have a shoot around on Saturday morning 0:13:22.440 --> 0:13:25.440 ahead of Saturday night's game. So if you really zoom out, 0:13:25.480 --> 0:13:29.520 that's five practice opportunities if you count shoot around in 0:13:29.600 --> 0:13:33.439 consecutive days. They have not had that since training camp, 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:37.240 and this team's makeup was quite different during training camp. 0:13:37.320 --> 0:13:39.360 So not only do they have a season or in 0:13:39.400 --> 0:13:42.040 some cases, about a third of a season's worth of 0:13:42.080 --> 0:13:44.840 time to have built chemistry with one another now under 0:13:44.880 --> 0:13:47.640 their belts, but they know how they play together, They 0:13:47.679 --> 0:13:50.160 know where they need to build. Training camp is sort 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:52.560 of a totally blank slate, right. They didn't come into 0:13:52.600 --> 0:13:54.920 this week with an entirely blank slate. They knew exactly 0:13:54.920 --> 0:13:56.840 what they wanted to work on and now have had 0:13:56.840 --> 0:13:58.920 three out of their five opportunities to do so. In 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:01.480 a row back to your point, Matt Murphy. I love 0:14:01.600 --> 0:14:03.800 what Joel Embiad had to say about the fact that 0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:06.719 he was locking Tobias Harris up in practice today. He said, 0:14:06.760 --> 0:14:09.920 Tobias got frustrated, but in a good way. And Joel 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:12.160 has talked about this all season long, the way that 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:15.880 this team feels comfortable challenging one another and challenging one 0:14:15.880 --> 0:14:20.040 another to improved, to get better in the interest of improvement, 0:14:20.120 --> 0:14:22.440 being really open with each other, honest with each other, 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:25.120 holding one another accountable. And it sounds like that's what 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:27.560 happened today. They were able to play through it. And 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:30.560 then what Doc Rivers said after Joel Embiad spoke, it 0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:33.400 felt like a turning point for this team. So exciting 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:36.600 to know, of course, And that being said, any team 0:14:36.640 --> 0:14:38.600 that's in the playoffs, that isn't playing in the play 0:14:38.600 --> 0:14:41.760 in tournament is having a similar experience this week. They're 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:44.800 all getting opportunity to run with each other more than 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:47.080 usual in a practice environment. But for a team like 0:14:47.120 --> 0:14:50.520 the seventy six ers, which added an MVP into the 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:54.080 fold in the latter third of the season, this type 0:14:54.120 --> 0:14:56.840 of opportunity is absolutely awesome. It's good to hear that 0:14:56.880 --> 0:14:58.600 they're going at each other. It's good to hear that 0:14:58.640 --> 0:15:02.440 they're doing so healthfully, Awkwood, But I really enjoyed all 0:15:02.800 --> 0:15:04.880 of what the Sixers had to say today. Divide, You've 0:15:04.880 --> 0:15:06.800 been there every day as well, and I'd love to 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:09.360 hear your thoughts on Joel's health, but maybe even more 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:11.440 than that, on the chemistry and on the way that 0:15:11.520 --> 0:15:15.120 they were talking about one another today. What's your take 0:15:15.160 --> 0:15:21.440 on the collective vibe? It seem upbeat. Everyone seems excited 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:25.960 about the opportunity and also ready to get going. And 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:30.760 when you hear James Harden speak about tightening up some screws, 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:33.520 some things that he wasn't fully aware of with the 0:15:33.600 --> 0:15:36.840 plays throughout the time that he's been on the floor 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:38.920 with the team, and this has been important for him 0:15:38.920 --> 0:15:41.480 since he has arrived here in Philadelphia to be able 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:44.000 to fix some of those those issues that he may 0:15:44.000 --> 0:15:46.080 have had on the floor where he's no longer confusing, 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.400 and he said made more sense now after being out 0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:51.760 there for these last few days that you speak of 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:56.240 and running through the things they need to offensively and defensively. 0:15:56.320 --> 0:15:58.440 So it is good to hear that. It's encouraging to 0:15:58.480 --> 0:16:02.240 hear that they all are very vocal, They are very 0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:05.800 into it and getting after each other while they're doing so, 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:09.040 and ready to take it out on someone else, basically 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:12.320 with this upcoming series with the Toronto Raptors. So it 0:16:12.440 --> 0:16:15.760 is really encouraging to simply hear all of that from 0:16:15.800 --> 0:16:18.600 the players and what they're able to do here. Doctor 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:21.000 Rivers speak about it as well as far as e Beach. 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:23.520 In Beach's health, as you mentioned, Laarden, there's just no 0:16:23.560 --> 0:16:26.080 way to know, but going in, as he mentioned, he 0:16:26.120 --> 0:16:28.920 feels better than he ever has. And look, he's played 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:32.320 a now career high and what sixty seven sixty eight 0:16:32.360 --> 0:16:36.080 games on the season, and for him, that's fantastic. This 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:38.120 is something that we've always talked about, seeing him close 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:41.600 to seventy games a year, and he has been good 0:16:41.640 --> 0:16:44.800 throughout it and his play and you've seen how great 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:46.640 he has been out there on the floor and you 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:49.560 can only expect that to carry over to the postseason 0:16:49.880 --> 0:16:53.120 where everything is on the line with this first round 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:56.400 matchup against the Raptors and hoping to push it along further. 0:16:56.520 --> 0:17:00.160 So I'm looking forward to seeing how he does out 0:17:00.200 --> 0:17:03.280 there with his health, how many minutes he plays, all 0:17:03.320 --> 0:17:06.960 that's going to come his way, both offensively and defensively, 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:11.440 and what he's required to do, especially being defensively maybe 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:14.800 the anchor, the guy playing in the back and calling 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:17.800 out the coverages and also having to react to certain 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:20.439 things that are coming his way in the painted area 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:24.439 once the Raptors offense from time to time gets to 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:28.040 the paint. So really really excited about how they seem 0:17:28.119 --> 0:17:31.160 to be excited getting ready for this one. The challenge 0:17:31.160 --> 0:17:33.480 deaths in front of them, and they do really seem 0:17:33.680 --> 0:17:36.840 upbeaten and confident about what they can do against this team. 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:39.920 This is a group that's been upbeat all season long, 0:17:39.960 --> 0:17:41.760 and I think a lot of that is due in 0:17:41.880 --> 0:17:46.159 part to the question Drew poses about young Tyrese Maxie 0:17:46.160 --> 0:17:49.320 getting ready to embrace his first playoffs with a big role. 0:17:49.520 --> 0:17:51.200 It is the role going to be too big or 0:17:51.200 --> 0:17:52.800 will Tyree step up to the plate the way that 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:54.960 he did last season. I pulled up some stats just 0:17:55.000 --> 0:17:57.240 to give everybody a little bit of context. If you 0:17:57.280 --> 0:18:00.840 remember last season, Tyrese Maxie was fighting for a spot 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:04.200 in the playoff rotation. When you look at Round two, 0:18:04.960 --> 0:18:08.119 the Round two Eastern Conference Series four the Sixers. Last season, 0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:10.960 there were games in which Tyrese Maxi played as few 0:18:11.000 --> 0:18:14.040 as one minute and thirty one minute and twenty seconds, 0:18:14.080 --> 0:18:15.800 so as little as one minute and twenty seconds or 0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:18.480 as much as twenty nine minutes and twenty eight seconds. 0:18:18.480 --> 0:18:21.119 In the first round, he played six minutes in some games, 0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:24.120 he played twenty plus in others. This season, he knows 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:26.320 exactly what's coming for him, and it's worth noting that 0:18:26.400 --> 0:18:28.600 last year he was just a rookie. He had four 0:18:28.760 --> 0:18:33.160 ten plus point performances, including Game six at Atlanta when 0:18:33.160 --> 0:18:37.040 he finished with sixteen points and seven rebounds. That, of course, 0:18:37.119 --> 0:18:40.240 was sort of his absent maybe that thirty nine point 0:18:40.240 --> 0:18:43.400 performance against Denver earlier in the season, but very much 0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:46.359 his national stage coming out party. And then this season, 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:49.080 Tyrese has been excellent. He's been a huge part of 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:52.120 this team's motor, a huge part of this team's spirit 0:18:52.200 --> 0:18:54.399 as well, when you look at what he was able 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:58.200 to do as a rookie versus as a sophomore. We've 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:00.920 talked a ton about three point shooting percentage. Last season, 0:19:00.920 --> 0:19:03.960 of course, shooting barely over thirty percent from three, and 0:19:04.000 --> 0:19:07.800 then this season finishing at forty two point seven percent 0:19:08.200 --> 0:19:11.119 from three point range and playing with such a command 0:19:11.280 --> 0:19:16.000 of his game, of his fellow starters, playing alongside guys 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:18.720 on the bench, and then learning to play alongside James Harden, 0:19:18.960 --> 0:19:21.280 I think he is certainly to answer the question ready 0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:23.600 to embrace this role on a big stage. In any 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:26.280 indication that we've had when Tyrese Maxie has had a 0:19:26.359 --> 0:19:29.199 large moment, he has not been afraid of it. He 0:19:29.280 --> 0:19:32.160 has not been shy, and I am not concerned about 0:19:32.200 --> 0:19:34.320 his ability to continue doing the same. In fact, I 0:19:34.359 --> 0:19:37.760 think he has another level two unlock. He's been extremely 0:19:37.800 --> 0:19:40.880 focused in practice over these last few days. He's had 0:19:41.000 --> 0:19:43.360 no he's shown no signs of slowing down in terms 0:19:43.400 --> 0:19:46.320 of the positive improvement that he's been showing all season long. 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:48.280 And today Joel Embid said that he should be the 0:19:48.280 --> 0:19:51.640 most improved player in the NBA this season. I don't 0:19:51.640 --> 0:19:53.399 know that he'll win that award, but I do know 0:19:53.480 --> 0:19:55.439 that if I were to vote, I would vote the 0:19:55.440 --> 0:19:57.520 way that Joel is voting. Devon, I'm going to come 0:19:57.560 --> 0:19:59.560 to you first on this one. What do you expect 0:19:59.640 --> 0:20:02.520 out of Tyrese Maxie, the twenty one year old and 0:20:02.640 --> 0:20:08.320 his second playoff experience. Well, first, that Game six performance 0:20:08.480 --> 0:20:11.760 on the road by the way to extend the series 0:20:12.000 --> 0:20:14.760 enforce the Game seven is the one that really stands 0:20:14.760 --> 0:20:18.399 out for me from his performance last year in the 0:20:18.440 --> 0:20:22.320 postseason against the Atlanta Hawks. As far as him being 0:20:23.119 --> 0:20:26.320 I guess a little surprised by the moment and where 0:20:26.359 --> 0:20:28.959 he is at this time around, I look at him 0:20:29.000 --> 0:20:31.199 and he's one that I know is not afraid to 0:20:31.240 --> 0:20:33.120 be out there on the floor, and that's what you need. 0:20:33.320 --> 0:20:35.719 When we talk about the confidence and how everyone feels 0:20:36.040 --> 0:20:38.399 going into it when he steps on the floor. I 0:20:38.440 --> 0:20:41.200 also know that I have the utmost trust in him 0:20:41.200 --> 0:20:45.320 when he's out there. So I can't say that this 0:20:45.359 --> 0:20:47.240 will be a bit of a shock because this is 0:20:47.400 --> 0:20:50.560 all a different type of season now with the postseason. 0:20:50.600 --> 0:20:53.119 They always speak about how the playoffs are different than 0:20:53.160 --> 0:20:57.240 the regular season. He has been there, but the one 0:20:57.280 --> 0:21:00.159 thing that's different, as you mentioned, they're no surprise is 0:21:00.160 --> 0:21:01.720