MikeH
Well-Known Member
The Raps had the best player but the Sixers had what, 4 all stars? Sixers starting 5 on paper was better than the Raptors. Jo not being in shape or healthy to play every minute didn't help. Maybe that's an unrealistic expectation, but when you read about his diet last year and how out of shape he was combined with how injury-prone he has been, you really have to wonder who wins that series if Jo is actually in shape...especially when you look at the on/off stats...The over/under and favorites in series are set by people who know sports waaaaay better than any of us. So the sixers winning a dozen more games than expected of them isnt an underachievement. Vegas said the Raptors and Celtics the year before were better than the Sixers and that was the truth, also not an underachievement. I know Simmons and Embiid are superstars in this league but they are still pups and werent anywhere near the usual 6 year time period where guys truly start competing for championships
When I say underachieve, I'm of the Ricky Bobby mindset--if you're not 1st, you're last. Especially in the case of last year's Sixers team. The year before, they overachieved in the regular season and made progress in the finals. Their goal last year was to win the championship. They made a lot of big moves last season. They traded some nice pieces for Jimmy Butler to try to put them over the top and they traded for Tobi. I don't think any player on that team was happy with how their season ended last year. Ultimately, the regular season doesn't mean a ton to me as long as you get into the playoffs. The Warriors lost 9 games all season in 2016 and lost in the Finals. I'm sure they don't care about the regular season record.