Philadelphia 76ers: 3 big questions following 2019 NBA All-Star break

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 13: Ben Simmons #25 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers smile during a game against the New York Knicks on February 13, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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2. Can they beat the Celtics?

Related to Simmons’ potentially tragic flaw is the team that exposed it most loudly. The Celtics have an army of large, switchable bodies that can make just about any player uncomfortable.

One could argue that it doesn’t matter who the Sixers employ; every game is hard-fought, scrappy and ugly. Worst of all, Philly can’t manage to close those types of games out.

A huge factor in this discussion is Embiid’s performance. Per ESPN‘s Tim Bontemps, since the start of last year’s second round defeat, Embiid has gone 25-for-70 (35.7 percent) from the field when guarded by Al Horford. That number is far below his career average of 48.0 percent, and must improve for the Sixers to overcome Boston.

Why does Embiid consistently falter against a much smaller Horford? It doesn’t help that Embiid has to exert so much energy on the defensive end just to hang with the stretch-5. Horford is hitting 36.9 percent of his 3.1 3-point attempts per game, and went 3-of-5 from that range against Embiid.

Additionally, the Celtics seem to salivate when Embiid gets fed in the post. He’s not the most deft passer out of double teams, and Boston’s timely rotations put him in those situations quite often. To truly exploit those doubles, Embiid simply has to think quicker when pressured; otherwise, he’ll continue to force shots that are sure to make ergonomists shudder.

One storyline that must be addressed: Kyrie Irving didn’t play in last Thursday’s matchup, nor did he play in last season’s playoff series. His defensive shortcomings are must easier to expose than any of Boston’s other big guards, which will matter against the Sixers’ offensively potent quintet.

In a vacuum though, banking on Kyrie to bleed more points than he creates seems ludicrous. Embiid and Simmons both have to maximize their strengths to truly overcome this green monster.