Speaker 1: A bonus episode of Fanatic about the Playoffs. No music bed,
Speaker 1: no production elements. We're just keeping it real. Divine givens. Bonus,
Speaker 1: get straight into it. Bonus Playoffs Round two semifinals, you
Speaker 1: must advance. Let's do it. Felt like this was necessary.
Speaker 1: We had some voicemails come in after our last call
Speaker 1: for it for our previous installment of Fanatic about the Playoffs,
Speaker 1: so wanted to do the people justice. Had to give
Speaker 1: a platform for some of these voicemails because we do
Speaker 1: love the voicemails. You know, Let's do it, man, we
Speaker 1: love the voicemails, all right, seventy six Ers, we know this.
Speaker 1: Hosting the Atlanta Hawks at one o'clock on Sunday afternoon
Speaker 1: to open up the second round series, their third second
Speaker 1: round appearance in the last four years, which is great.
Speaker 1: Some of these calls came in after the Game five
Speaker 1: clinch over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, so let us
Speaker 1: get to the pod line right away. That was a
Speaker 1: great game by the Sixers tonight. They took care of business.
Speaker 1: Seth Curry like unbelievable game from him. Ben Simmons with
Speaker 1: triple double, like amazing, amazing, Tobias Harris, great game. First
Speaker 1: half looked a little ugly, but they closed it out.
Speaker 1: They finished the game, ended the series, bringing the Atlanta Hawks.
Speaker 1: I hope Joel is able to play in that series.
Speaker 1: If not, I think the Sixers still pull that one
Speaker 1: off sixers and five against Atlanta. Let's go, Eastern Conference Finals.
Speaker 1: Let's go Sixers, Let's go, let's go. That's the team
Speaker 1: of the call. I guess let's go right, Let's go.
Speaker 1: Let's go. Seth Curry with the thirty points that he
Speaker 1: dropped in the close out game, Tobias Harris with his
Speaker 1: twenty eight as well, and individually, you cannot, as the
Speaker 1: caller just mentioned, you cannot leave out the triple double
Speaker 1: performance for Ben Simmons, and as he alluded to, the
Speaker 1: second half is really where they turned it out, not
Speaker 1: just individually but the team defense, scoring the thirty eight
Speaker 1: in the third quarter and thirty one from Washington. But
Speaker 1: I looked at Celts the free throws, where Russell Westbrook
Speaker 1: and Bradley Beale were just parading to the free throw
Speaker 1: line in the first half of the game, and six
Speaker 1: Is yet up by two, sixty five, sixty three. But
Speaker 1: in the second half, in total, they only shot I
Speaker 1: believe six total between the two after just parading to
Speaker 1: the free throw line, where they both ended up with
Speaker 1: ten free throw attempts on the night. So I thought
Speaker 1: that the individually the points that they put up Seth
Speaker 1: Curry what I believe was twelve in the third quarter,
Speaker 1: But the defense in general also really did a fantastic
Speaker 1: job team defense coming together and really closing out that
Speaker 1: game in a game without Joel Embiid. That is precisely
Speaker 1: the type of defense that we saw in the second
Speaker 1: half that the seventy sixers needed to play. I do
Speaker 1: think the whole idea of it's a team win, it's
Speaker 1: a team effort kind of gets overplayed, but in a
Speaker 1: game like that, they had to have it in the
Speaker 1: second half, and really going back towards the end of
Speaker 1: the first half, we saw that there were guys who
Speaker 1: logged extended minutes, who did a little bit here, a
Speaker 1: little bit there. I mean, obviously Seth Curry did a
Speaker 1: lot by comparison Ben Simmons to Bias Harris, but even
Speaker 1: Danny Green setting the tone at the end of the
Speaker 1: second half, second quarter I thought was really important. That's
Speaker 1: the way the Sixers half to play if joellenbad is
Speaker 1: not going to be out there, Ny Green getting the
Speaker 1: strip of Russell Westbrook right as he inbounded the ball,
Speaker 1: trying to size him up and figure out Westbrook where
Speaker 1: to go, and Danny Green waited patiently, reached at the
Speaker 1: right time, got the ball and still was able to
Speaker 1: convert the layup, and then although it didn't lead to
Speaker 1: another basket, the offensive foul, the frustration that Russell Westbrook
Speaker 1: at that point was showing he flat out and pushed
Speaker 1: Danny Green at that spot because he was he was
Speaker 1: just hounding him and couldn't get the ball as easy
Speaker 1: as he wanted too. So you're right from the end
Speaker 1: of the second quarter going into the third quarter, where
Speaker 1: a great offensive performance from Seth Curry, but then the
Speaker 1: defense in general putting it all together in the second
Speaker 1: half and ending up of course with the seventeen point
Speaker 1: win and close out and gave him a five. We'll
Speaker 1: talk more about the Atlanta Hawks before this bonus pod
Speaker 1: Our Mailbag edition is done, but I do think that
Speaker 1: if the seventy sixers play that type of defense in
Speaker 1: a series against Atlanta, whether Joel and beats there or
Speaker 1: is not, things could work in the seventy sixers favor.
Speaker 1: All right, let's hear from Rita. I don't think we
Speaker 1: can talk about how great the first round without talking
Speaker 1: about Seth Curry. I think that man is on fire
Speaker 1: and other teams that are watched out. Seth Curry stepped
Speaker 1: up when the seventy Sixers needed him, and he's had
Speaker 1: a bit at times of an up and down here.
Speaker 1: I think generally he's been outstanding. And by up and downs,
Speaker 1: I'm referring more to availability trying to get back into
Speaker 1: a rhythm after the positive COVID test in January. But
Speaker 1: he was outstanding in that close out against the Wizards. Rita,
Speaker 1: I thought he was fantastic. And then just thinking about
Speaker 1: eleven for seventeen from the floor, three or six from
Speaker 1: behind the three point line. And the other thing that
Speaker 1: really stood out to me was two things. Actually, Selton Rida.
Speaker 1: It was the fact that he got to the free
Speaker 1: throw line seven for seven from the free throw line
Speaker 1: and made all seven. That is not surprising. It's the
Speaker 1: volume in which he got there and seven is a
Speaker 1: little surprising for me because we think of him more
Speaker 1: as a perimeter player. But also once he got going,
Speaker 1: he saw how netto opposite him. He saw from time
Speaker 1: to time it was a bigger defendive like Hachimura or
Speaker 1: Daniel Gafford. But he wasn't worried, he wasn't deterred, and
Speaker 1: what he wanted to do about putting the ball on
Speaker 1: the floor and getting those opportunities getting to the basket.
Speaker 1: And we know he has a very good touch around
Speaker 1: the basket with the floater and also from the angle
Speaker 1: where he banks it off the glass, uses his angles properly.
Speaker 1: He was tremendous, and while I was focused on someone else,
Speaker 1: whether it be Simmons or Harris, even though those two
Speaker 1: individually had fine games and there were others that stepped
Speaker 1: in as well and had great performances in him for
Speaker 1: that type of performance we've seen. I saw a twenty
Speaker 1: eight point performance from him earlier in the year, and
Speaker 1: he was great. But to only make three three pointers
Speaker 1: but still reach the thirty point total the seven points
Speaker 1: at the free throw line, I think Red is right
Speaker 1: on point with this one. I know he didn't play
Speaker 1: a ton of ton of minutes depending on the series
Speaker 1: at different times, but he had a substantial role the
Speaker 1: last couple of years. Seth Curry. This is something I
Speaker 1: didn't talk about. I'll admit if you the first two
Speaker 1: minute didn't talk about a lot going into the playoffs.
Speaker 1: He's a guy who has had playoff experience. He's been
Speaker 1: in the postseason each of the last two years with
Speaker 1: Portland with Dallas, who was a part of the run
Speaker 1: the Western Conference Finals with Portland where they ultimately got
Speaker 1: swept by his brother in Golden State in two nineteen.
Speaker 1: So he's a guy who is familiar with this stage.
Speaker 1: And I thought by and large, he had a really
Speaker 1: solid series. He had the o Fur game from outside
Speaker 1: the Ark, and Game four, the Sixers in general were off,
Speaker 1: and then he came back and like many of his teammates,
Speaker 1: had a great effort closing things out in Game five.
Speaker 1: Absolutely a good rhythm, and that's something that you want
Speaker 1: to see because now they give you that faith overall.
Speaker 1: While you trusted him in the regular season and he's
Speaker 1: had some good games in the first series, there to
Speaker 1: the way that he closed out and left us with
Speaker 1: that lasting impression now of what we saw in Game five,
Speaker 1: and also what that could mean for the next round
Speaker 1: against the Atlanta Hawks and the type of defense that
Speaker 1: they play and whoever they decide to use as their
Speaker 1: defensive assignment on Curry and what he could do. So
Speaker 1: good showing and hopefully it carries over. We know the Hawks,
Speaker 1: they can shoot the three. Seventy six ers, we know
Speaker 1: can shoot the three. So with the team that's got
Speaker 1: the potential firepower like Atlanta, always that much more important
Speaker 1: when you've got someone like Seth Curry. Absolutely, absolutely as
Speaker 1: far as that goes with between Curry and Green and
Speaker 1: even Harris. She saw Harris getting the mixed with the
Speaker 1: two May threes himself and George Hill, while he did not,
Speaker 1: She didn't even attempt the field goal and game him
Speaker 1: five and three. He played a very good floor game
Speaker 1: and defensively helped out as well. But the fact that
Speaker 1: in game number I believe it was game the four
Speaker 1: where he hit a couple of three pointers. Also, you're
Speaker 1: going to have to knock down shots sometimes you're not
Speaker 1: gonna stop everyone. So there may be a night in
Speaker 1: this next series where Atlanta is really knocking down their
Speaker 1: perimeter shots. Can you match those? And that's going to
Speaker 1: be something that we feed off of. And now, in
Speaker 1: last Saturday's game when they played the Washington Wizards and
Speaker 1: game numb at three hitting the three point at the
Speaker 1: clip that they were selves. That was a tremendous display.
Speaker 1: Can they do that again? I don't know. I don't know,
Speaker 1: but at least we saw to know that at least
Speaker 1: it might be in them to put that type of
Speaker 1: fricking number up there from behind a three point line. Again,
Speaker 1: about those Atlanta Hawks, Hey, John calling a huge victory
Speaker 1: last night, Goes sixers super pump for the Hawks series.
Speaker 1: I want to know your thoughts on what we do
Speaker 1: against Cappella. He's a rebounding machine. The whole team is
Speaker 1: top five and rebounding this season, and Trey Young has
Speaker 1: really played well against us. You can almost bank on
Speaker 1: him to get twenty five to thirty every night. What
Speaker 1: do we do against him, especially if if in bed
Speaker 1: down a little bit longer and you know, they do
Speaker 1: the Hackaben type stuff again? All right, goes six or
Speaker 1: super punk for Sunday. Yes, I think everyone is eager
Speaker 1: to see can the seventy sixers get past the second
Speaker 1: round in this iteration and era of the team. Clint Capella,
Speaker 1: I think his influence, his significance, He's always going to
Speaker 1: be there because he's a very solid player, but obviously
Speaker 1: divine this isn't going out on the lamb there. If
Speaker 1: Joel and Beat is not out there at any points,
Speaker 1: Capella and his potential for a threat changes. John is right,
Speaker 1: double double machine. He's been great the way that he's
Speaker 1: been playing that really the second half of the season.
Speaker 1: So as far as the rebounding aspect goes at John
Speaker 1: through at Ustair, so it's I think it's simple. It's
Speaker 1: the principles of know your personnel and then also help
Speaker 1: help rebound team rebounds. In this case, we've seen it
Speaker 1: where yes, Dwight Howard can get some really big numbers
Speaker 1: off the bench rebounding, but also when in Beat is out,
Speaker 1: one guy always focus on is Tobias Harris. He finds
Speaker 1: a way to crash the glass and get some really
Speaker 1: good numbers on the defensive glass and the offensive as well.
Speaker 1: Ben Simmons is another candidate to be able to once
Speaker 1: again get in there, get get dirty a little bit
Speaker 1: and grab some rebounds and not allow those extra offensive
Speaker 1: possessions to happen for the Atlanta Hawks because he is
Speaker 1: very capable of Cappella of doing that and have success.
Speaker 1: Clearly that happening, and also with Cappella got to be
Speaker 1: careful of those pick and rolls because he picks, he rolls,
Speaker 1: he dives, and the allou the tandem between he and
Speaker 1: Trey Young with how they execute that play is really effective.
Speaker 1: So that's another thing that they're going to have to
Speaker 1: focus on for sure. With Clint Cappella, it is pretty amazing.
Speaker 1: D the turnaround the Hawks went on. They picked up
Speaker 1: the third most wins in the NBA after March started,
Speaker 1: which is when they made their coaching change from Lloyd Pierce,
Speaker 1: who he knows with the Sixers as an assistant to
Speaker 1: the veteran, the proven Nate McMillan. They actually finished with
Speaker 1: one more win in the seventy sixers over the final
Speaker 1: two and a half months of the season. They're legit.
Speaker 1: And I think that Trey Young, he's obviously talented, but
Speaker 1: he can back it up man and he's not afraid
Speaker 1: to put it out there. We saw that in the
Speaker 1: series against the Knicks, and I just think that whereas
Speaker 1: with the Wizards you have two All Stars and a
Speaker 1: former MVP in Westbrook and Bale. You know, for Atlanta,
Speaker 1: they've got Trey Young and he is their star. But
Speaker 1: the teams surrounding him. I think the roster is really
Speaker 1: a much more deep and balanced roster than what Washington
Speaker 1: was throwing out there. The piece is fit much better
Speaker 1: with Atlanta, and to me, that's almost more of a
Speaker 1: concern because you can see how it's supposed to work,
Speaker 1: and they've made it. By and large, there's a system
Speaker 1: there that works. Totally agree. We know who Trey Young is,
Speaker 1: an All Star point guard, All Star Live a point
Speaker 1: guard in his young career now year number three. He's
Speaker 1: really talented. He has twenty nine points in that series
Speaker 1: against New York, and on a big stage like New
Speaker 1: York where everyone was coming down on him, they took
Speaker 1: two games. While inside Madison Square Garden. The team overall
Speaker 1: self there alone. They're athletic, they're deep, from Bogdanovitch to
Speaker 1: Collins DeAndre Hunter, the Philadelphia native back in town for
Speaker 1: this series of course, Clint Capella. Then you go to
Speaker 1: the bench and you look at with Kevin Hurder and
Speaker 1: his size, Danilo Gallinari as well, and even Lou Williams
Speaker 1: just being a veteran presence in the playoffs. For these players,
Speaker 1: it will be a challenge. It will be a challenge
Speaker 1: for the seventy Sixers against this athletic team. Defensively, they
Speaker 1: indeed have stepped up since Nate McMillan has taken over.
Speaker 1: That has always been a calling cardiff his from his
Speaker 1: playing days to his coaching days, both with Portland and Indiana,
Speaker 1: and that has clearly shown in his time now and
Speaker 1: since taken over as head coach for the Atlanta Hawks.
Speaker 1: So the Sixers will have to be ready, and I
Speaker 1: think Doc Riverson's coaching staff know that they've had the
Speaker 1: advanced scouting already taking care of. They're watching the film,
Speaker 1: they're communicating, the game plan is pretty much set at
Speaker 1: this time of what they want to do, especially based
Speaker 1: on the things that they last saw against the New
Speaker 1: York Knicks. So this will be an entertaining series. He's
Speaker 1: gonna be a challenge in these series for both sides.
Speaker 1: With the seventy six is still being the clear top
Speaker 1: team between the two. Certainly would expect it to be
Speaker 1: more of a challenge for the seventy Sixers, regardless of
Speaker 1: the status of Joel Embiid. Feel like the Hawks are
Speaker 1: a totally different type of team than the Washington Wizards.
Speaker 1: Paying us two pictures divine before we wrap up this
Speaker 1: bonus mailbag edition of Fanatic about the playoffs Game one
Speaker 1: with Joel Embiid and Game one without Joel Embiid. Game
Speaker 1: one with Joel Embiid will be a victory for the
Speaker 1: seventy sixers, but obviously I think the first five minutes
Speaker 1: will be key for all of us viewing that game
Speaker 1: and wondering how he's going to be feeling in those
Speaker 1: first five having some time off since last Monday on
Speaker 1: Memorial Day and not playing a live game in an
Speaker 1: actual game, I'm not sure what's been going on behind
Speaker 1: the scenes if he's able to run up and down
Speaker 1: the court and fives and get some work in, so
Speaker 1: if he's ready to go, I think we will still
Speaker 1: see that same type of Joel Ebad, maybe a little
Speaker 1: cautious as I said, in the first few minutes, and
Speaker 1: then getting his feet and his legs underneath him and
Speaker 1: hopefully the conditioning will catch up and he'll be fun.
Speaker 1: They're gonna have to defend him the right way. Quinn
Speaker 1: Capella can defend him, yes, but he's not a big
Speaker 1: body guy that can man up on and beat. He's
Speaker 1: more of a weak side shot blocker. To help defend
Speaker 1: that painted area and that rim. So I'm looking at
Speaker 1: that and I think that the seventy sixers should still
Speaker 1: have their success. Who's going to who is Trey Young
Speaker 1: going to defend? That's my question. So with all the
Speaker 1: length that they have with Hunter Collins and even Capella,
Speaker 1: the good things that they do defensively, Bogdanovis is a
Speaker 1: bigger player six four sixty five, who is he going
Speaker 1: to defend? And certainly who is Trey Young going to defend?
Speaker 1: Because if it is Seth Curry, then I'm doing everything
Speaker 1: I can to again make him run around quite a bit,
Speaker 1: maybe slow him down on the other end because of
Speaker 1: how much he's running, chasing Seth Curry and even hunting
Speaker 1: him out and getting some mismatches where they're now going
Speaker 1: to have to find out if they're going to one
Speaker 1: of double team him as well. Whoever, if it's Tobias
Speaker 1: Harris hasn't won the low block, hasn't want to hit,
Speaker 1: it's in that double team, Okay, then are you gonna
Speaker 1: double team Joel Embid? So that's the one scenario, and
Speaker 1: then more of a challenge if MBD is not out there,
Speaker 1: but still the pieces because they've been there already in
Speaker 1: playing without MB throughout the season, twenty games, twenty plus
Speaker 1: games without MB during the campaign, and while they were
Speaker 1: more closer to five hundred than anything they've been over
Speaker 1: with their their record, this is not going to be
Speaker 1: a big surprise. They're not going to be looking over
Speaker 1: their shoulder selves looking to see if he's gonna come
Speaker 1: in and save the day. They know he's not playing,
Speaker 1: so I think it would be more of a challenge,
Speaker 1: but still they could prevail in that Game one without MD.
Speaker 1: Well put, as always, we would expect nothing less from
Speaker 1: the one er only. Divine Gibbons always available. Summoned into
Speaker 1: mail bag duty for this edition of Fanatic about the playoffs.
Speaker 1: Thank you as always, my man, my pleasure always all right,
Speaker 1: next episode coming your way Monday, after what we hope
Speaker 1: is a successful and positive Game one. Talk to you
Speaker 1: all then,