PHILADELPHIA — There are plenty of reasons to think that the 76ers will have a pretty easy time beating the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Sixers have Joel Embiid, who led the league in scoring and is likely to be voted its most valuable player. They have James Harden, who led the league in assists and is healthier and playing better ahead of a postseason tournament than he has in years. They have the better roster, home-court advantage, and the motivation that comes with being a team that has been tagged with high expectations and that often has fallen short of those expectations.
But there is one reason to think that the Nets can give them a tough go of it in this series.
The Nets won’t have Ben Simmons.
