Today, on Sunday March 19th, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics by a score of 105-99. Behind a crowd of 19,000 plus, Philadelphia dominated the fourth quarter in route to their first victory over the Celtics since 2014. Led by great performances by Robert Covington and Dario Saric, as well as emerging rookie Timothe Luwawu- Cabarrot, the 76ers came back from a 13 point deficit in the 3rd quarter to defeat a top three Team in the Eastern Conference.
Which team has a better future?
After watching the 76ers defeat the Celtics in this game, it is obvious that, although both teams have vastly different records, both are extremely young and extremely talented.
With Philadelphia awaiting the returns of both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons next year and Boston looking to improve its already extremely talented roster with what will likely turn into a top 5 draft pick (from BKN), it is easy to wonder which team is positioned better going forward.
Take your pick: quality veterans or rookies with enormous potential?
Led by Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford, Avery Bradley, emerging rookie Jaylen Brown, and an assortment of other quality veterans, Boston looks poised to complete for the Eastern Conference title. Philadelphia, with its vast amount of young talent, including Dario Saric, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons looks to have a young core that could lead to success for years to come.
When looking at both teams, clearly Boston has more veteran leadership, but as evidenced by this game, Philadelphia now knows how to close games. Will this pay dividends later? Will Boston's lack of a clear star hinder their chances of winning an NBA Championship? Does either team have a superstar?
When looking at the statistics this year, it is obvious that Boston is closer to a title than Philadelphia right now, but one question emerges; Does Boston have a superstar player?
For most, the answer is no. When looking at Philadelphia's roster, we know that they have one superstar player in Joel Embiid and might very well have another in Ben Simmons. One big question remains apparent with both, and that question is a big one; Can they stay healthy?
