The Philadelphia 76ers might have had to move heaven and earth to beat the Miami Heat. However, they’re happy to be finally safe from the uncertainty of exhausting themselves just to play the Boston Celtics in the first round.
With that being said, the New York Knicks are no cakewalk either. The Knicks are second in the East after being one of the most impressive teams in the East throughout the 2023-24 regular season. Jalen Brunson has blossomed into a terrifying player for any team to face against, and his supporting cast is just as potent.
However, one big man in the Sixers rotation believes that the Knicks are the easier matchup to play against for the play-in teams. The tone of his message suggests that the Sixers aren’t particularly worried about what the Knickerbockers can bring to the table.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Paul Reed doesn’t think the New York Knicks are a huge problem for them
Paul Reed is among the Sixers players making rounds in the media ahead of their first-round duel against the Knicks. While he’s been asked plenty of questions about the season and the play-in tournament, his words regarding the New York Knicks was what captured the people’s attention the most.
“We ain’t ducking no smoke, but yeah, we wanted the Knicks matchup,” Reed said Thursday on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back. “Of course, that’s the easier team.”
Reed, who scored six points off the bench Wednesday, said the series will be “fun.”
“We match up pretty well with them. They got a great guard (Jalen Brunson). We got a great guard (Tyrese Maxey). We also got Joel (Embiid), an MVP. … He’s one of the most unstoppable guys in the league right now.”
New York Knicks fans might have something to say about Reed’s words, but what the role player said about the Philadelphia 76ers is true.
While Jalen Brunson is a dangerous guard who averages 28.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists a game, Tyrese Maxey is putting up similar numbers (25.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists).
Moreover, they don’t have a direct answer to Joel Embiid. Isaiah Hartenstein may be a solid big man for any playoff team, but he’s nowhere near the level of Embiid’s regular-season numbers of 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 assists, and 1.7 blocks a game.
The Knicks will have to do a lot of adjustments if they want to meet the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. If they’re not careful, they might find themselves tripping before they even get to their dream matchup.
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