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NBA Playoffs 2019: 5 players facing the most pressure

By Micah Wimmer

TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 22: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on against the Toronto Raptors on March 22, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 22: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on against the Toronto Raptors on March 22, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers is introduced before the game at the Wells Fargo Center on March 28, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 123-110. 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. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers is introduced before the game at the Wells Fargo Center on March 28, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 123-110. 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. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /

3. Joel Embiid

One only has to watch a few minutes of a game between the Sixers and the Celtics to realize that these two teams really do not like each other. Much of this ill will stems from their matchup in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last year which the Celtics won in five games as they stifled the attempts of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid to find any sort of consistent rhythm. Even though their raw numbers looked good, they belied the effort it took for Embiid and Simmons to earn them. Embiid shot just 44 percent that series as Aron Baynes and Al Horford combined to make every shot attempt much more difficult than he was used to.

This season, Embiid has looked better than ever, going as far as to call himself “the most unstoppable player in the world,” and admittedly, at his best, that doesn’t appear to be an empty boast. However, considering his underwhelming showing in the postseason against Boston last year, there’s a lot of pressure on him and the Sixers, who have decided to go all in on this season, to make a deep run — at least to the Conference Finals, if not the NBA Finals. And with Embiid being the team’s best player, any blame for failing to do so is likely to fall on his shoulders, no matter how well he plays, and such blame would be even more pronounced if he struggles again as he did against Boston last year.

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