EVERYONE on NBA Today has the 76ers higher than Celtics in the regular season, but… | NBA Today

MARC HERE. CELTICS, THE SIXERS, RIGHT, BOTH HAVE HIGH ASPIRATIONS HEADING INTO THE YEAR. ZACH, WHO IS GOING TO FINISH HIGHER IN THE REGULAR SEASON, DO YOU THINK? >> FIRST, I WANT TO SAY, IT IS NICE VEGAS CAN’T QUIT THE NETS. THEY’RE ALWAYS WAY UP THERE NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON. FOR THESE TWO TEAMS, SIXERS, MORE WINS, EVERYTHING IS IN PLACE. NO EXCUSES. SIXERS. >> BRIAN? >> I AGREE, THEY’RE HIGHLY MOTIVATED TO HAVE A GREAT REGULAR SEASON. THE SIXERS NEED TO PROVE IT TO THEMSELVES, AS WELL. I SELECT THE CELTICS IN THOSE RANKINGS, BUT I

LIKE THE SIXERS TO FINISH HIGHER. >> SIXERS FINISH HIGHER? >> MEEK MILLS, SIXERS. >> ALL RIGHT. EVERYONE SAYS, OH, REGULAR SEASON, HOW MUCH DOES IT MATTER? WHO IS GOING FARTHER IN THE POSTSEASON? >> THIS IS PHILLY’S BEST TEAM OF THE EMBIID ERA, BUT IT IS HARD FOR ME TO TRUST THEM AFTER WATCHING HARDEN BAIL OUT OF ANOTHER ELIMINATION GAME LAST YEAR. ROBERT WILLIAMS IS BACK. THEIR DEPTH IS BACK. I TRUST THE CELTICS TO GO FURTHER IN THE POSTSEASON. BUT PHILLY, MILWAUKEE, BOSTON, ALL COULD WIN IT. >> INTERESTING. BRIAN? >> I’M WORRIED ABOUT RUSSELL WILLIAMS BECAUSE

HE IS SO IMPORTANT TO THEM. HIS SURGERY THREE WEEKS AGO, THEY SAID 8 TO 12 WEEKS TO RETURN TO BASKETBALL ACTIVITIES.

NOT 8 TO 12 WEEKS BACK ON THE COURT. HE COULD BE OUT A WHILE. HOPEFULLY HE IS BACK. I’M ALSO WORRIED, LAST YEAR THE START OF THE SEASON, UDOKA HAD THE KIND OF — HE HAD TO GET EVERYBODY IN LINE. THERE WERE BIG PERSONALITIES. IME WAS ON THEM NIGHTLY. HE WAS ATTACKING THEM AND FORCING THEM AND IMPOSING HIS WILL. NOW, WE HAVE A GUY IN MAZZULLA, WHO THE CELTICS RAVE ABOUT, BUT HAS TO TACKLE

THE SAME BIG PERSONALITIES. AND YOU HAVE BROGDON, WHO IS NOT A BIG PERSONALITY, BUT HE’LL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ROLE. I SUSPECT THERE’S GOING TO BE A FEELING OUT, ESPECIALLY BEFORE WILLIAMS COMES BACK. ULTIMATELY, LONG TERM, I THINK THE CELTICS SHOULD BE IN BETTER POSITION BY THE END OF THE YEAR. >> THE GREAT EMBIID IS GOING TO BE GREAT. HARDEN IS GOING TO BE BETTER. BUT THE DIFFERENCE-MAKER IS TYRESE MAXY. HE AVERAGED A POINT A MINUTE IN THE PRESEASON. >> IS THAT GOOD? >> IT’S REALLY GOOD. >> IT’S GOOD. >> RIGHT? HIS CAREER HIGH IS ABOUT

17 POINTS A GAME. I THINK HE ECLIPSED THAT. BECOMES THE NUMBER TWO SCORER ON THIS TEAM. HE BECOMES AN ALL-STAR CANDIDATE. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE. I EXPECT A GREAT YEAR FROM