Preview of the 76ers/ Magic First Round Matchup (From a Philly Fan's Perspective)

The city of Philadelphia has experienced an emotional roller coaster over the past six months. The journey started with the slow upward climb that was MLB’s regular season, reaching its peak when the Phillies captured the city’s first major sports title in 25 years. It looked as though the success was going to continue, as the hype around the Eagles continued to build, with many picking them as the favorite to win the Super Bowl. This hype however, subsided after an inconsistent regular reason, which came down to the final weekend. An improbable run in the postseason put the Eagles just one win away from another Super Bowl appearance. The city was once again on a high, daydreaming about back-to-back championships. These daydreamers were quickly awoken by the Arizona Cardinals, who ended the Eagles post season run, pulling the city’s fans back down from their sports pedestal. With so much excitement surrounding the world champion Phillies, and the ever-popular Eagles, it is quite easy to overlook the quiet consistency the Sixers have developed this season, headlined by their march back into the postseason. This lack of a buzz around the Sixers current campaign is not surprising, as a 76ers appearance in the first round of the Eastern Conference has become commonplace. So too, however, has a first round exit. Since the departure of #3 (and arguably even before then) the Sixers have been stuck in mediocre mode. They are a formidable opponent for any team, however are never regarded as a true contender. This situation leaves fans at a crossroads; hoping for the best, while not becoming too emotionally invested in the team. Therefore, a breakthrough is necessary; something to ignite the team and its fans, and generate interest in the club that has not been felt since their 2001 Iverson-led charge to the Finals. Luckily, it does not take much to get Philadelphia fans excited, as they are seemingly always ready to explode (as demonstrated throughout the past half year), and a victory in a playoff series would certainly propel the Sixers back into Philly’s focal point.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, the Sixers still need to win a series, which has proven to be quite difficult over the past few years, and a first round matchup with Orlando and their bruising big man, Dwight Howard, certainly does not lighten the load. For a while it seemed as though there was potential that the Sixers would be able to slide into the five seed and secure a first round matchup with the young and athletic Atlanta Hawks, who the Sixers would be able to match with their own up-tempo style. However, a several game skid cost them this opportunity, and their fate was finally determined on the final night of the NBA’s regular season with an overtime victory over the Lebron-less Cavs, landing them a postseason date with Orlando.

Earlier in the season many would have said that a matchup with the Magic would be highly preferable to meeting the ever-focused Celtics in the first round. However, after a cool conclusion to the season (compared to their sizzling start) and big questions surrounding the health of the Big Ticket, the Celtics began to look vulnerable. In a way, the two teams are quite the opposite. The Boston Celtics are a veteran-led team coming off a championship season, looking to defend their title, while the Sixers roster is largely filled with young, ambitious players looking to carry the franchise back into NBA-prominence. It would have made for an interesting storyline. But, this is not Hollywood, and the Sixers are instead set to face the Orlando Magic, who head into the postseason with a potent offense and prolific three-point shooters (not to mention the walking double-double they have at center). Heading into this series I feel that it is important for the Sixers to view the Magic as what they really are; an obstacle; An obstacle standing in the way of the Sixers return to NBA-prominence, and the restoration of pride amongst the Philly faithful.

Despite the 0-3 regular season record against Orlando I feel that the 76ers have a legitimate shot at winning this series (or maybe this is just the optimist in me sneaking out). Overall, I question Orlando’s ability to keep pace with the Sixers up-tempo style for an entire series, and on top of this I believe that the Sixers have some favorable matchups as well. They have the edge in the backcourt with the rotation of Andre Miller, Willie Green, and Sweet Lou over-matching the threesome of Rafer, Anthony Johnson and rookie Courtney Lee. Orlando has outstanding perimeter players in Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, but I believe that the new A.I. and Thaddeus can work to neutralize their attack by forcing difficult shots and making them work on the defensive end. This leaves one man in Orlando’s rotation, who just might be the X-factor in this first round matchup; Dwight Howard. Coming off a season in which he led the L in blocks and rebounds, and heard his name tossed around in every award discussion from MVP to Defensive Player of the Year, Dwight looks primed for a playoff run, and slowing him down will be no small task, literally. Dwight has the ability to dominate a game and swing a series, and there is certainly not one player in this Sixers lineup that can match up with him physically. However, if some of their frontcourt players step up and find a way to minimize Dwight’s impact, the 76ers will put themselves into a position to push into the second round of the playoffs. So, my advice to the fans of Philadelphia: Get ready for another roller coaster ride.