Indiana Pacers: Best- and worst-case opponent for the first round

No easy choice

If we knew that Joel Embiid was going to be out for the entire first round series, or even the first five games, this would be a much easier decision. For as great as Ben Simmons and the Sixers have been, they haven’t had to deal with another team having nearly a week to game plan around Simmons’ lack of an outside shot. Indiana would make it very hard for him to beat them, and other than J.J. Redick, none of the other Sixers have much in the way of playoff experience. To think that doesn’t matter would be foolish.

With that being said, Philly has been a better team than Cleveland for a while now, and it’s not particularly close. While neither Simmons nor Embiid can single-handedly impact a game like LeBron can (not yet at least), the combination of the two of them surpasses the best player in the league. Side by side, their supporting casts are roughly a wash.

Still, this is LeBron freaking James we’re talking about here. At some point, a team he plays on will fail to make the Finals…but the odds of it being in the first round against a squad that wasn’t supposed to be anywhere close to where they are remain slim. Even if Embiid makes it back by Game 3 or 4, if the Pacers can steal even one game in Philadelphia, it alters the series. The Sixers are barely .500 on the road for the season.

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Neither task is an easy one. Judging by how Indiana has responded to adversity every step of the way this year, they don’t figure to be intimidated. Here’s betting that whoever they play in round one, the series goes the distance.