Stevens: 76ers’ ‘size presents challenges on both ends of the floor’

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens explains how the 76ers without Ben Simmons are still a very tough out.

Don’t expect Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens to take the Philadelphia 76ers lightly now that they will be without their starting floor general in Ben Simmons.

Simmons, out with a knee injury sustained in the regular season seeding games held at the Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida in the latter half of July, will transform how the 76ers will play the Celtics.

And Stevens thinks they still have a very good shot of walking away with a series win with that style of play, particularly if their shooters can keep the pressure on Boston’s defenders, opening up the lane for All-Star center Joel Embiid to go to work.

“Simmons is an outstanding player but without him,” he explained at Sunday’s media availability session, “now they’re posting those guys more and they’ve got four shooters around [Joel] Embiid all the time.”

“It makes it extremely difficult to play against. They’re playing great, and they have, especially on that end without Simmons, all year. And when he plays, he just brings a different element — a unique element. But, they’re a very, very difficult matchup for anyone, and their size presents challenges on both ends of the floor.”

A number of analysts were quick to pick the Celtics for an easy win over Philly, but Stevens isn’t wrong about the danger this team still presents.

Without Simmons the defense absolutely takes a step back, especially for who will be guarding Boston’s deadly wing duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

It also facilitates their half-court game, which we’ll likely see more of from both teams in the postseason, though Boston is going to try and make the game an uptempo affair whenever possible to tire Embiid out.

Whichever way the series goes, it will hinge on the level of effort and connectedness both teams display; Brad Stevens isn’t wrong to remain concerned about the 76ers.

Hopefully his players buy into that point of view, too.

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