5 Teams Philadelphia 76ers Would Dominate in Playoffs

After a surprising playoff appearance last season in which the Philadelphia 76ers gave the Miami Heat all they could handle in a first-round loss, the Sixers have carried their momentum into this season and currently lead the Atlantic Division.

That being said, nobody outside of Philadelphia believes that this team can actually go deep into the playoffs.

While it may be true that the team lacks the firepower of the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, they are currently one of the best defensive teams in the league.

Names like Spencer Hawes, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and Lou Williams ignite the team on a nightly basis. They are a high-energy team that outworks opponent through their athleticism and physicality.

They make it hard for other teams to play against them and because of that, don't be surprised if Philadelphia knocks out a few teams in the playoffs.

In fact, there are a handful of Eastern Conference teams that the Philadelphia Sixers match up well against. Here is how the Sixers stack up against them and why they'll have an easy time against them. 

Boston Celtics

The Philadelphia 76ers have already defeated the Boston Celtics twice in their season series. Neither game was close. The Sixers won both games by double digits and even held Boston's anemic offense to just 71 points in a 32-point blowout victory.

The Celtics' age has also been well-documented throughout the season. They were idle during the trading deadline and failed to make any improvements to address their lack of size and depth.

The Sixers are thick with Spencer Hawes in the middle and athletic forwards Elton Brand and Andrew Iguodala on the wing. They're hustle guys who will give the Celtics a rough time on both ends of the floor. The Sixers are fourth in the league in rebounding, and that exemplifies their hard work on the court.

The Celtics will be outworked and they just don't match up well against Philadelphia. Their defense might be one of the stingiest in the league, but when up against active and physical players like the ones the Sixers have, they don't match up well because they're not thick in the paint and they're also an older team.

New York Knicks

When people think about the New York Knicks, they think of a team that has a tendency to score many points, but has deficiencies on defense. 

However, this notion is debunked when looking at some interesting stats. According to ESPN's John Hollinger's stats, the Knicks are tied for fifth in the NBA in defensive efficiency. They only allow 97.9 points per 100 possessions. 

Offensively, they score 99.8 points per 100 possessions, which is 23rd in the league. 

The reason why they're in the top half of the league in points scored, though, is because they run a very fast-paced offense. They use 96.7 possessions per game, which is third highest in the league. Because of that, they get many opportunities to score.

They're essentially a "volume scoring" team. 

Against a tough-as-nails defensive team like the Philadelphia 76ers, the Knicks aren't going to have as many possessions because the Sixers will be making them run the shot clock and force them to work hard for their shots. 

And while the Knicks have improved defensively this season, Philadelphia is much deeper and physical up front with Spencer Hawes, Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala. They're going to give Tyson Chandler a run for his money.

Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic score around 94 points per game, and they're one of the league's most one-dimensional teams.

Without Dwight Howard, the Magic are a lottery team. 

Fortunately for Philadelphia, they have the size to contain Superman. They're not going to stop him, but they have enough firepower to limit his damage. 

After all, they are the best team in the league in terms of defensive efficiency. 

Both of these teams don't run fast-paced offenses, but the Sixers' depth and the Magic's mediocrity after Howard is good enough reason why they'll be able to steamroll past Orlando. 

Indiana Pacers

A Philadelphia 76ers vs. Indiana Pacers playoff series probably won't draw plenty of playoff ratings, but it sure would be great basketball.

Both teams are similar in that they have depth and lack a central star. They're reliant on everyone's contributions in order to be successful.

However, the Sixers have a major advantage at point guard with Lou Williams. Williams is No. 8 among point guards in Player Efficiency Rating, compared to Darren Collison, who is No. 39. Williams' quickness and shooting ability gives Philadelphia a slight edge. 

Teams need their point guard to be able to facilitate the job for the offense, especially when going up against a tough defensive-oriented team like Philadelphia. 

Collison's mediocrity at the point guard position will be highly detrimental to the Pacers chances to win the series. Without an elite point guard, the Pacers will be out of sync and struggle from the get-go.

A team like the Chicago Bulls can dissect and break down the Sixers defense because of Derrick Rose, but the Pacers need somebody better than Darren Collison.

Finally, the Pacers are reliant on Danny Granger, who is averaging over 18 points per game and can be considered the team's central star, if you were going to pick one. But he'll be going up against Andre Iguodala.

Opposing small forwards have a player efficiency rating of just 5.9 against Iguodala. The league average of PER is 15. This pretty much shows how much of a great shutdown defender Iguodala is, and Granger would most definitely have his hands full.

Atlanta Hawks

Like the Indiana Pacers, the Atlanta Hawks have their share of similarities with the Philadelphia 76ers in that they don't have a central star and have plenty of depth. 

However, Lou Williams is a highly underrated point guard that the Hawks will have a hard time keeping in check. Jeff Teague isn't exactly an elite defender. Opponents average a PER of almost 16 against him, and 15 is the league average.

Secondly, Joe Johnson won't have a walk in the park against Andre Iguodala. As mentioned in the previous slide, Iguodala is a premier defender and does an excellent job in keeping small forwards in check. 

And let's face it, the Hawks have some pretty old guys that might be eligible for Social Security in the next few years. Veterans like Tracy McGrady, Jerry Stackhouse, Jason Collins, Kirk Hinrich, and Erick Dampier infiltrate the Hawks bench. 

The Sixers' youth, defense and athleticism should be enough to clip the Hawks.