You need veterans to win in the playoffs. It’s an age-old saying and there’s plenty of truth to it. You need a mix of experienced level heads, even on a young Philadelphia 76ers team that has so much talent and mature cockiness that they overcame their first trip to the playoff stage in five games.
The Sixers couldn’t have asked for a much better veteran big to bring off their bench than Ersan Ilyasova. And he’s not just an older voice in the locker room — he’s in the paint working for rebounds, burying 3s, taking charges, and stepping up as an integral part of some of the Sixers’ most effective lineups and vastly improved bench.