Philadelphia 76ers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Joel Embiid May Not Be Ready For Start Of Second Round

April 22nd, 2023 at 5:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers aren’t sure if Joel Embiid will be available when their second-round playoff series begins, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

After Philadelphia wrapped up a sweep of the Nets on Saturday afternoon, coach Doc Rivers told reporters that Embiid is “probably 50 percent, at best” to be ready for the team’s next game, which will likely be played next weekend.

Embiid sat out Saturday’s contest with a right knee sprain that he suffered in Thursday’s Game 3 when he landed awkwardly while trying to block a shot. He was experiencing pain and swelling in the knee and underwent an MRI after the game.

“From my understanding, they checked his knee out right after the game because he was complaining about some soreness behind the knee,” Rivers said, “which is always a scary thing to hear about with players. There was swelling already, which is way too early, so we did the MRI. … It just feels like whenever they tell a coach we’re going to get an MRI, it doesn’t turn out well most of the time and this one did not.”

The Sixers won today without Embiid, but he’s obviously indispensable to their title hopes. He captured the league’s scoring title this season, averaging 33.1 PPG in 66 games, and is a finalist for MVP honors.

The knee sprain continues a troubling run of playoff injuries for Embiid. A year ago, he suffered a right orbital fracture and concussion that sidelined him for the first two games of the conference semifinals. He had a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee during the 2021 postseason and played with an ankle injury in the 2020 playoffs, although he didn’t miss any games. He also dealt with knee soreness in the 2019 playoffs and another orbital fracture in 2018.

“Obviously, clearly that’s on your mind,” Rivers responded when asked about his message for Embiid. “But as I said, this is another obstacle in the story that we’re going to write this year, and you’re going to be OK. It may take a minute, but this is just part of it. To me, I’m sure … he’s human, and goodness, this happens again. Let’s win, let’s get him back on the floor and let’s keep on our own journey.”

If Reed isn’t available for the start of round two, he will likely be replaced again in the starting lineup by Paul Reed, who delivered 10 points and 15 rebounds in today’s close-out game.

Joel Embiid Sustains Knee Sprain, Out For Game 4 Vs. Nets

April 21st, 2023 at 7:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Sixers center Joel Embiid underwent an MRI on Friday that revealed a right knee sprain, and he will be sidelined for Saturday’s Game 4 in Brooklyn, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

While it’s obviously unfortunate news that Embiid was injured, it doesn’t sound like he will be sidelined for very long. According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, the team is optimistic that Embiid might be able to return early next week, though his status for a possible Game 5 on Monday is unclear.

Embiid suffered the injury while contesting a layup by Cameron Johnson in the third quarter of Game 3, which the Sixers wound up winning to hold a 3-0 lead in their first-round series with the Nets. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provides a Twitter video link of the play in question.

Game 3 was controversial, as James Harden was ejected for the first time in his career following a flagrant foul 2 on what seemed like a fairly normal basketball play, while Embiid only received a flagrant 1 earlier in the game for intentionally kicking up at Nic Claxton‘s groin when Claxton tried to step over him following a dunk. Harden called his ejection “unacceptable.”

The fact that the Sixers are up 3-0 gives them breathing room for Embiid’s absence. If they’re able to complete the sweep on Saturday, the earliest they would have to play again would be either April 29 or 30, and that’s assuming their possible second-round series gets moved up — otherwise, they’d play again on either May 1 or 2, per NBA.com.

Embiid is considered the leading candidate for his first MVP award after finishing as the runner-up each of the past two seasons. He led the league in points per game for the second consecutive season, but the injury bug has bitten him once again in the postseason.

Atlantic Notes: Harden, Claxton, Brogdon, Raptors

April 21st, 2023 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

While the Sixers were able to hold on and win Game 3 without him, James Harden was fuming after the game about the flagrant foul 2 and ejection he was given near the end of the third quarter on Thursday (Twitter video link).

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes, the game’s referees ruled that Harden made “excessive” contact to Royce O’Neale‘s groin while trying to create space against the Nets defender. The Sixers star referred to the decision as “unacceptable” and said he didn’t get an explanation from the officials during the game.

“First time I’ve been ejected. I’m not labeled as a dirty player, and I didn’t hit him in a private area. Somebody is draped on you like that defensively, that’s a natural basketball reaction,” Harden said. “I didn’t hit him hard enough for him to fall down like that. But for a flagrant 2, it’s unacceptable. This is a playoff game. We’ve seen around the league, things are much worse than what that play was. Honestly, I didn’t think it was a foul on me. But that’s unacceptable. It can’t happen.”

While Harden was ejected, his Sixers teammate Joel Embiid avoided a similar fate early in the first quarter. After falling to the floor, Embiid kicked Nets center Nic Claxton when Claxton tried to step over him (Twitter video link). The star center was assessed a flagrant foul 1, but was permitted to remain in the game, much to the chagrin of Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my career before,” Vaughn said. “For a guy to intentionally kick someone in an area that none of us want to be kicked at or towards, for him to continue to play, I’ve never seen that before in a game and a guy continues to play. Intentional.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Claxton’s energy and fight helped keep the Nets in the game on Thursday, but his exuberance got the better of him when he picked up his second technical for taunting Embiid (Twitter video link) and was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “Yeah, when I watched it, it was a little excessive. I got to keep my emotions in check,” Claxton said after the game. “They need me out there. So that’s part of my growth, just keeping my emotions like that when I’m playing well and my emotions are really high. I got to look myself in the mirror and just be smarter in those situations.”
Shortly after arriving in Boston last summer, Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon stressed that he was focused on team – rather than individual – success. He reiterated that message earlier this week, just a couple days before being named the NBA’s Sixth Man of The Year, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “All these awards are team awards,” Brogdon said when asked about the possibility of earning Sixth Man of The Year honors. “It takes a team for anybody to get an award because there’s always five guys on the floor. It would be great for the organization, the Celtics, to have me win the award.”
Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri will hold his end-of-season media session on Friday, over a week after the team’s season came to an end. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca wonders if Ujiri may have delayed his usual spring presser a little this year in the hopes of gaining more clarity on the team’s coaching situation.

Atlantic Notes: Barnes, Knicks, McClung, Bridges

April 20th, 2023 at 7:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year Raptors forward Scottie Barnes faces a critical summer following some minor regression in 2022/23, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. According to Lewenberg, there was a sense within the organization that Barnes, the 2022 Rookie of the Year, “could have worked harder and smarter” last offseason.

“I put my highest expectations on myself. I put a lot of [thought] into what I really want to become, what I really want to be,” Barnes said last week. “That’s how I look at things, how I see myself as a player. I know how I want to get better. I just want to consistently try to develop in each and every way and make it to the top of the league, be one of those better players in the league. It’s just going to take a different level of mindset, of work.”

This season, the 6’9″ forward out of Florida State averaged 15.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.8 BPG across 77 games with the 41-41 Raptors.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Young Knicks role players RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes will have to contribute more in the ongoing playoff series against the Cavaliers if the team hopes to advance, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Braziller notes that Quickley, who has enjoyed a breakout 2022/23 season and was the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up, has been passive in the team’s first two playoff contests, and has logged as many made field goals as he has turnovers (four apiece). Barrett’s shooting and passing have been lackluster, while Grimes has struggled to score.
Despite wowing audiences in Utah en route to a Slam Dunk Contest championship in February, two-way Sixers point guard Mac McClung continues to work toward becoming an NBA rotation player, writes Howard Beck of GQ. McClung spent most of his time this year as the starter for Philadelphia’s NBAGL affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. A scout tells Beck that, while McClung is a terrific athlete, he needs to refine his on-court skillset. “The cerebral aspects of the game are way more important,” the scout said. “He’s proven people wrong every step of the way… but I’d say he’s got a hill to climb.” In his 31 games for Delaware this season, McClung averaged 19.8 PPG, 4.9 APG, 2.7 RPG and 0.8 SPG.
Nets forward Mikal Bridges thrived with the Suns during his first few NBA seasons, but has taken on a major role as Brooklyn’s scorer since Phoenix flipped him as part of its blockbuster Kevin Durant trade. Though Bridges didn’t plan on such an outsized role on offense, he has embraced it so far, writes James Herbert of CBS Sports. “I’m not overcomplicating nothing,” Bridges said. “I didn’t drink nothing different, I didn’t eat nothing different, I didn’t change nothing. I just kept getting better and kept working. And I think that’s what people try to overthink. All you gotta do is just get better.” The 6’6″ swingman out of Villanova logged 26.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.6 BPG in 27 contests for his new club this season.

James Harden Continues To Be Linked To Rockets

April 20th, 2023 at 2:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Sixers guard James Harden has a $35.64MM player option for 2023/24, which means he could be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t exercise it. How far Philadelphia advances in the playoffs could end up determining whether or not he stays with the team or returns to the Rockets, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on his podcast (hat tip to RealGM).

“James Harden’s future is very unclear in Philadelphia,” Wojnarowski said. “Houston is very much in play for him. And I think a lot may depend on [whether the Sixers] make a run and win and it’s easy to pay him long-term big money, or he just wants to be back in Houston. Win or lose he goes, or it’s dependent on the team’s success.”

Wojnarowski first reported in late December that Harden and his camp were seriously mulling a free agency return to Houston, where he won an MVP in 2017/18 and earned eight of his 10 All-Star appearances. Another report from March 1 indicated that the Rockets planned to aggressively pursue the 33-year-old, who led the league in assists per game this season (10.7).

Harden’s departure is far from a foregone conclusion. He has spoken multiple times about his desire to win a championship, and the Sixers certainly give him a better opportunity for that than the rebuilding Rockets.

Still, if the Sixers lose a possible second-round matchup with the Celtics, there’s a widespread belief that significant changes could be coming to Philadelphia in the offseason, according to Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

Players Likely To Get Rookie Scale Max Extensions In 2023

April 19th, 2023 at 11:06am CST by Rory Maher

The 2020 NBA draft was a strange one for a number of reasons. It wasn’t viewed as the strongest class by scouts and analysts, and there was no consensus top overall pick. The COVID-19 pandemic also (understandably) made it much more difficult for teams to scout and interview players due to travel restrictions.

Rookies from the class were also negatively impacted, as they were drafted in November and the 2020/21 season started one month later, with shortened training camps. Normally rookies have up to four months to spend with their new teams, including summer league and full training camps. The truncated offseason put all players behind the curve, but the ones without NBA experience were hit hardest.

It’s fair to say the 2020 class has been relatively disappointing overall to this point, especially some of the players drafted in the top 10.

However, there are still some excellent players who were selected in the first round, and I believe three of them are basically locks to receive maximum-salary rookie scale extensions at the beginning of July (the new contracts will kick in starting in ‘24/25). They all have areas they need to improve on, but the potential and production are there.

The top candidates

Anthony Edwards, G/F, Timberwolves

After spending much of his first two seasons playing small forward, Edwards primarily played shooting guard in 2022/23 and had a career year, averaging 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals on .459/.369/.756 shooting in 79 regular season games (36.0 MPG). The top overall pick of 2020 was named an All-Star for the first time this season.

Edwards has been durable, has improved nearly across the board in each of his three seasons, is arguably the best athlete in the class, and is only 21 years old. The fact that the Wolves were able to stay afloat with Karl-Anthony Towns missing most of the season is a testament to Edwards’ growth, and there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

LaMelo Ball, G, Hornets

The 2020/21 Rookie of the Year was an All-Star in year two after averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.6 steals on .429/.389/.872 shooting in 75 games (32.3 MPG). Ball, the third overall pick in 2020, followed that up by averaging 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals on .411/.376/.836 shooting in ’22/23.

The problem was, Ball sustained multiple left ankle sprains and then fractured his right ankle on a non-contact play at the end of February, which limited him to 36 games this season.

I highly doubt those ankle injuries will impact his next contract, though they are a little worrisome. It’s possible the Hornets might push for some type of protections on the deal, but I’d be a little surprised — Ball played 75 games in ‘21/22.

Tyrese Haliburton, G, Pacers

Several draft analysts had Haliburton high on their boards, but he wound up falling to the Kings at No. 12 overall. He played very well in his stint with Sacramento, but his fit with fellow point guard De’Aaron Fox was less than perfect, particularly defensively, and the Kings memorably traded him in February 2022 for a package headlined by big man Domantas Sabonis.

The deal has worked out well for both teams. Haliburton thrived as a full-time point guard for the Pacers to end last season, and he was outstanding in 2022/23, making his first All-Star appearance while averaging 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.6 steals on a sparkling .490/.400/.871 shooting line in 56 games (33.6 MPG).

Advanced stats nearly universally say Haliburton has been the top player from his class through three seasons. His efficiency and excellent decision-making stand out.

The 23-year-old only averaged 2.5 turnovers per game this season, good for a 4.15-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio – an excellent mark. Indiana went 28-28 with him in the lineup, versus 7-19 without him.

The borderline candidates

Two other first-round picks from 2020 are likely to receive massive extension offers this summer, but I’m not sure if they’ll get the full max – I could see it going either way.

Tyrese Maxey, G, Sixers

Given his relatively modest numbers as a rookie, Maxey’s enormous leap in ‘21/22 was pretty surprising (and impressive). He averaged 17.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists on .485/.427/.866 shooting in 75 games (35.3 MPG) in his second NBA season. The former 21st overall pick had a strong playoff showing as well, averaging 20.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists on .484/.377/.940 shooting in 12 games (40.4 MPG).

Maxey maintained his great outside shooting this season, averaging 20.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists on .481/.434/.845 shooting in 60 games (33.6 MPG).

Still just 22 years old, Maxey is electric with the ball in his hands and is one of the fastest players in the league, making him a terror in transition. While he rarely turns the ball over, he’s more of a shooting guard than a point guard at this time, frequently looking to score instead of distribute.

However, he’s only 6’2″, so he can realistically only defend point guards, and he doesn’t have great instincts on that end. Most of the players listed here need to work on becoming more consistent defenders, but the other players have size advantages and are better at making plays both on and off the ball defensively.

The new CBA allows players eligible for rookie scale extensions to sign five-year deals – they were previously limited to four-year contracts. With that in mind, I think Maxey is highly likely to receive an offer in the range of $160-170MM over five years, but I’d be mildly surprised if he gets the full projected $200MM+ due to his limitations as a play-maker and defender (whether he accepts less than a max deal is another story).

Desmond Bane, G/F, Grizzlies

A four-year college player out of TCU, Bane was the last pick of the first round in 2020. He had a quality rookie season, mostly off the bench, averaging 9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds on .469/.432/.816 shooting in 68 games (17 starts, 22.3 MPG).

Like Maxey, Bane emerged as one of the most improved players in the league last season, averaging 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals on .461/.436/.903 shooting in 76 games (29.8 MPG). He was even better in ‘22/23, putting up 21.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.0 SPG on .479/.408/.883 shooting in 58 games (31.7 MPG).

From a statistical standpoint, the 24-year-old has a legitimate argument for getting a max deal. He’s an elite shooter and is a solid play-maker and defender.

My only real questions as far as a max deal are: Can Bane be one of the best players on a championship-level team? Is he good enough at creating his own shot? I did view Memphis as a legitimate contender this year until Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke went down with injuries.

Bane is already an excellent player who has shown consistent improvement year over year. Every team in the league would love to have him. I’m just not totally sold on a full max, though I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets it, and it’s hard to say he hasn’t earned it.

And-Ones: Pate, Ignite, Awards, Combine, Players’ MVP Pick

April 18th, 2023 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Dink Pate, a 6’8″ point guard and a five-star recruit, has signed with the G League Ignite, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Having just turned 17 in March, Pate will be the youngest known professional basketball player in U.S. history, according to Givony, who notes that the youngster won’t be draft-eligible until 2025. That means he’s committing to spending two seasons with the Ignite, like Scoot Henderson did from 2021-23.

According to Pate, he considered the possibility of committing to a college program and was leaning toward Alabama over Arkansas, but believes he’ll have a better opportunity to continue developing his game with the Ignite.

After graduating high school a year early, Pate intends to move to Las Vegas later this month and begin training at the Ignite’s practice facility with new teammates Matas Buzelis and London Johnson, per Givony. Buzelis is a candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, while Johnson currently projects to be a first-rounder.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

After naming Jaren Jackson Jr. the Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, the NBA will announce another major postseason award winner for each of the next three evenings (Twitter link). Newly added award Clutch Player of the Year is due up on Tuesday, followed by Coach of the Year on Wednesday and Sixth Man of the Year on Thursday.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter links), the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement will make it mandatory for prospects who receive an invite to the draft combine to attend and do what’s required of them there (that will likely include medical testing but not scrimmages). A player who declines a combine invite without an excused absence won’t be draft-eligible until the following year, says Pincus.
The Athletic’s NBA writers polled 108 current NBA players on a series of NBA-related questions, including their MVP pick, their title prediction, and much more. Sam Amick and Josh Robbins of The Athletic have compiled the results, which include Sixers star Joel Embiid (50% of the vote) comfortably beating out Nikola Jokic (25.5%) as the players’ MVP choice; Hawks guard Trae Young getting the most votes (14.5%) for the NBA’s most overrated player; and Bucks guard Jrue Holiday earning the nod as both the best individual defender (28.7%) and most underrated player (17.5%).

Tobias Harris Delivers In Game 1 Victory

April 16th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tobias Harris is often taken for granted but he played in a crucial role in the Sixers’ 121-101 win over Brooklyn on Saturday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Harris fired in 21 points and added four rebounds and four assists. “For me, it’s just staying in the moment and being aggressive with all opportunities that come my way,” Harris said. He’ll enter free agency after next season.
After posting 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game during the regular season, Sixers star center Joel Embiid has set the bar high for the remainder of his career. Embiid still believes he can get better, as he told Pompey. “Obviously, next year, if I gotta get better again, that’s probably averaging 35, 36 a game,” he said. “The last guy that did it was James [Harden] and that’s hard to do, and that’s impossible. But I still gotta find ways to get better. There’s so many ways I can get better. But yeah, so far, it is my best season, offensively, defensively, and as far as everything, growing as a person and as a basketball player.”

"Engery Guys" Tucker, Reed Step Up For Sixers

April 15th, 2023 at 9:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns coach Monty Williams is glad to see Mikal Bridges blossoming into a star with the Nets, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Bridges has averaged 26.1 PPG since being sent to Brooklyn in February as part of the Kevin Durant trade. He scored 30 points in Saturday’s loss to the Sixers, one short of his career playoff high. “Mikal is shooting the ball a lot and making a lot,” Williams said. “I’m happy for him. I see him balling. That’s what I see. You know how it works. If we’re not playing him, I want him to succeed. I love him and (Cameron Johnson) like family. Those boys have been balling since they got to Brooklyn.”
The Sixers got a lift from their “energy guys” in the win over Brooklyn, observes Rich Hofmann of The Athletic. P.J. Tucker and Paul Reed both delivered big games as Philadelphia pulled away. “Five for six, a couple dunks, a couple rebounds, a couple steals,” Reed said. “That’s what Paul Reed does.”

Poll: Eastern Conference’s First Round Playoff Series

April 15th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

With the play-in tournament complete and the playoff field set, the NBA’s postseason will begin in earnest on Saturday. Since three of Saturday’s four games are Eastern Conference matchups, we’re zeroing in on those first round series this morning before shifting our focus to the West later today.

Here are the four first round series in the East:

Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Miami Heat (8)

This series holds a little more intrigue than the typical No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup. The Heat won the most games in the Eastern Conference in 2021/22 and nearly made it to the NBA Finals last spring. This year’s team isn’t much different from that one, even if its in-season results were a lot less impressive. A group led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo certainly won’t roll over in the playoffs.

Still, the Bucks were one of the NBA’s most dominant teams in the regular season, winning a league-high 58 games. And despite some injury question marks, they’re the deeper, more talented team in this matchup. This series may not be a repeat of Milwaukee’s four-game sweep of Miami in round one of the 2021 playoffs en route to a Bucks championship, but there’s a reason why Giannis Antetokounmpo are massive betting favorites (-1200, per BetOnline.ag).

Boston Celtics (2) vs. Atlanta Hawks (7)

The Celtics will enter their first round series as even bigger betting favorites (-1300) than the Bucks. Boston’s +6.7 net rating on the season was the NBA’s best mark by a comfortable margin, whereas Atlanta has spent much of the season looking like a league-average team, finishing the year at 41-41 (with a +0.1 net rating) before winning a play-in game over Miami.

The Celtics’ No. 2 overall defense should be capable of slowing down the Hawks‘ star backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray; it remains to be seen whether Atlanta will have any answer at the other end of the court for Boston’s star wings, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. A Hawks upset isn’t impossible, but it looks like a real long shot, barring injuries.

Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6)

While the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds are often significant favorites in NBA playoff series, it’s unusual for a No. 3 team to be as heavily favored as the Sixers are over the Nets (-1200). The odds make sense though — Philadelphia had the NBA’s third-best record, trailing only two Eastern powerhouses. And Brooklyn likely wouldn’t have finished as high as sixth in the East if not for the first-half contributions of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who are no longer on the roster.

The new-look Nets, led by Mikal Bridges, were competitive down the stretch, but they went just 13-15 after the trade deadline. The 76ers, meanwhile, followed up a 12-12 start to the season by winning 42 of their last 58 games, and they’ll be at full strength in the playoffs — stars Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey are all healthy after missing between 16 and 24 games apiece during the regular season.

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. New York Knicks (5)

Now we’re talking. The rest of the Eastern Conference series are viewed as pretty one-sided, but the Cavaliers and Knicks is something a little closer to a toss-up. Cleveland is a -190 betting favorite, per BetOnline.ag, while New York is at +165 to win the series.

On paper, there are plenty of reasons to back the Cavaliers. Their +5.6 net rating ranked No. 2 in the NBA, buoyed by a league-best 109.9 defensive rating. And Donovan Mitchell is the sort of battle-tested scorer a team wants on its roster in the postseason.

On the other hand, besides Mitchell, Cleveland’s top players lack postseason experience. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley will be appearing in their first playoff game on Saturday, and Jarrett Allen didn’t advance beyond the first round in two brief postseason appearances in Brooklyn. These Knicks are well coached and have the East’s best offense (120.4 rating) since the calendar flipped to 2023.

The status of Julius Randle‘s left ankle could be significant — it sounds like he’s aiming to return for Game 1 on Saturday, but he hasn’t played since spraining the ankle on March 29 and likely isn’t back to 100% yet.

Sixers Rumors