Stephen A. Smith OUTLANDISHLY claims the 2019 Jimmy Butler trade will haunt 76ers as ‘biggest regret’ if they go down to Boston Celtics
Stephen A. Smith's Surprising Take on the Sixers and Celtics Playoffs
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Stephen A. Smith, recently raised controversy by speculating that the Philadelphia 76ers might have regretted allowing Jimmy Butler leave the team. Smith suggested that the team would have returned to the NBA Finals and perhaps even won the championship if Butler had stayed in Philadelphia.
2018 saw the trade of Butler to the Sixers, but it wasn’t without controversy. Alongside Joel Embiid, he had disagreements with the team’s then-coach Brett Brown and battled to find his position on the roster. The Sixers nevertheless advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing to the Toronto Raptors. The Miami Heat then acquired Butler in a sign-and-trade transaction.
Smith’s comments came as a surprise to many, given that the focus of conversation has been on James Harden. The Sixers and Boston Celtics had a 2-2 series tie thanks to two games with 40 or more points from Harden. Smith, however, thinks Butler leaving the club was a big loss that might have cost them a championship.
“If the Sixers don’t win, one of the biggest regrets they will live with in franchise history is letting Jimmy Butler walk out that door,” Smith said on First Take. “If Jimmy Butler had never departed from the Philadelphia 76ers, the 76ers would have been back in the Finals and they probably would win the title.”
The Heat are currently favored to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Sixers face a tough challenge from the Celtics. Only time will tell if Smith’s prediction will come true.
Can the Sixers Overcome the Celtics? And Prove Smith Wrong?
The pressure is rising on the Philadelphia 76ers to perform well as they face a challenging matchup against the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs.
The Sixers’ playoff run thus far has been uneven, with some spectacular victories followed by discouraging losses. Due to the injuries and inconsistent play of their best player, Joel Embiid, the team has been forced to primarily rely on Tyrese Maxey and James Harden’s scoring.
Despite these challenges, the Sixers have shown flashes of brilliance, and have the firepower to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, they will need to step up their game if they hope to fend off the Celtics and advance to the next round.
The Celtics, on the other hand, are a strong rival with a talented squad and a deep roster. After a slow start to the playoffs, they recovered by winning Game 2 and Game 3 of the series.
The burden is on both teams to perform well in the upcoming games with the series locked at 2-2. The Sixers will need to find a way to get Embiid going in order to relieve some of the stress on Harden and Maxey. They must also find other scoring options. Additionally, they will need to strengthen their defence, which has occasionally been weak during the playoffs.
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Vivek Yadav
(624 Articles Published)