The Nets admit that Joel Embiid of the 76ers, their first-round playoff foe, is the deserving league MVP and can’t be stopped one-on-one. They can only hope to even slow him as a team. But how? “Yo…
They can only hope to even slow him as a team.“You guys will see on Saturday. We’re just going to try and be together, play for each other, do whatever it takes and do whatever the scout is,” said Mikal Bridges, whose Nets will open the best-of-seven series Saturday in Philadelphia.
Nic Claxton will get the start at center against Embiid, but he won’t shoulder the responsibility alone.“Embiid proposes such a challenge for us,” coach Jacque Vaughn admitted. “Nic will have his hands full to start the game. Obviously it won’t just be Nic trying to take that challenge. The best thing about this group is you try to keep them locked-in and ready for when their number is called.”
But when they met in Brooklyn on Feb. 11, in the Nets debuts for Bridges and Cam Johnson, the Nets constantly switched on Embiid and James Harden’s screens. “There’s no limit to tenacity and sweat equity and giving what you got,” Vaughn said. “We’ve only got a couple guys his size, but we’ve got some guys that are going to play hard.”
Embiid’s career average of 8.1 made free throws per game is the best in NBA history. He has been even better this season, at 10.0 per game, just the seventh player ever to average double-figures.“Yeah, the challenge is on everyone’s mind,” Joe Harris said. “Obviously Joel is an MVP-caliber player, 33 points per game, dominant on both ends.
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