After harden and Ben Simmons trade, the Nets are still considered to be the favorite to win the championship, while the 76ers are the newest upstart in the championship team, and with the Bucks and Heat, the East Side championship teams are considered to be more numerous. However, Barry Jackson, a Miami Herald reporter, recently interviewed an anonymous West Side scout who believed that the Nets and 76ers would not be able to pass the game when they encountered the Heat and Bucks in the playoffs.
In the interview, the scout said: "I don't think the Nets or the 76ers can beat the Bucks or Heat 4 games in the series. He also said that although the Nets and 76ers were at their peak after the deal was reached, considering that there were few regular season games left in the 2021-22 season, there was not much time left for the two teams to run in, as well as injuries and certain off-field factors (such as Irving's refusal to vaccinate) should also be taken into account.
In contrast, the Bucks and Heat are now mature, and the rotation order of the two teams throughout the season has been determined. Moreover, the Heat just reached the Finals in 2020, and the Bucks won the championship last season, and the lineups of the two teams have not changed much compared to that time (the Heat's introduction of Lowry is the biggest change).
Undoubtedly, the scout's concerns do exist. Not only will the Nets have to face Irving's problems, but it is still a question when Simmons will play and how he can play, which he has never played in this season. And when Irving and Simmons, who can be called "brainless and unhappy", will jump out again to make trouble, no one knows.
The 76ers don't have as many off-field factors, but if Embiid and Harden don't cooperate as expected, and even affect Embiid's MVP this season, the 76ers may have many more off-field factors.
In short, at present, the Bucks and Heat are undoubtedly dominant. However, the star combat strength is also not to be underestimated. The Heat lost to the Lakers in the 2020 Finals, and they were not optimistic before the start of the playoffs this season, but as the playoffs progressed, the Lakers' performance was gradually getting better; and the Bucks and the Nets, who even injured 2 members of the General, fought until they rushed to seven games to get through, and the Nets' big three were still formed in the middle of the season, if the run-in is certainly not as good as the Bucks.
Therefore, everything cannot be said too absolutely. The problem that the scout said, the 76ers and the Nets executives could not have failed to realize, and they must have planned it. For neutral fans, the East End playoffs are undoubtedly more worth looking forward to. (Supine Braces/Hairy)