A 2020 NBA Playoffs Simulation Isn't Kind to the Struggling Sixers

Remember when Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown said he was gunning for the Eastern Conference's number one seed this year? Well, that idea didn't go according to plan. The Sixers were supposed to be NBA Finals contenders in 2019-2020. And who knows, maybe they were going to be when the playoffs rolled around.

But based on what we've seen before the NBA suspended the season back in March, Philly was on their way to another disappointing postseason. Over the last two years, the Sixers had the talent to do some great things. Unfortunately, they exited the playoffs during the second round in back to back years.

This year, the team was expected to get over the hump finally, but they weren't going to enter the postseason in a favorable spot. If the NBA season resumes, we likely skip straight to playoffs. If that's the case, the Sixers are going to be the sixth-seed in the Eastern Conference and will face the third-seeded Boston Celtics. 

Although the Sixers had a successful season over Boston this year, winning three of their four matchups, a recent simulation by Sports Illustrated's own, Michael Shapiro, predicts that a playoff series against the Celtics won't issue similar results for Philly. Another second-round exit for the Sixers in 2020 would be bad.

A first-round exit for the Sixers this year, however, would be terrible. While simulations aren't exactly the real deal -- they do issue a realistic scenario. And unfortunately for the Sixers, losing to the Celtics in a playoff series is very much possible. 

"[A Sixers-Celtics series] would have been the worst-case scenario for the Celtics in round one 12 months ago, and a healthy Joel Embiid is a massive issue for Brad Stevens and Co. Still, these Sixers have been largely a mess this season, and it’s hard to see an extended suspension (without practice) working as a magical elixir." 

"Boston has its own resident superstar, and it feels far more complete throughout the roster. An abbreviated playoff loss may not be enough to dislodge Embiid or Ben Simmons. Brett Brown’s status is another story."

Do I believe a first-round exit this season would force the Sixers' front office to choose between Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons finally? Honestly, I don't. I do, however, believe that if the Sixers don't make it past the second round and put up a fight for the Eastern Conference Finals, then Brett Brown is out of a job in Philly.

Brown's hot seat rumors during last year's playoffs were slightly overblown -- but this year was shaping up to be different. The Sixers are a talented squad on paper, but on the court, they often looked like a mess. 

While Brown has often been a scapegoat for issues in the past, eventually he is going to have to just live with the consequences of a team that can't get over the hump. If this simulation is any real indicator of what's going to happen a couple of months from now, then we're most likely going to witness the end of the Brett Brown era very soon. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_