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Yeah. They are. They really are. In an article of It Could Happens, Andy Hutchins over at the dot com goes into the 16 possible NBA Finals matchups remaining. The Sixers present options 16, 15, 14, and 12. Woo 12! Not all bad! Here's a taste of the worst.
No. 16: 76ers vs. Clippers
Overview: The only No. 8 seed remaining in the playoffs rides Andre Iguodala to the Finals, somehow, and meets a Clippers team that Chris Paul has willed to the promised land with an assist from Blake Griffin. If this seems unlikely, it is.
Most compelling matchup: There's not a lot that Philadelphia can do on offense. Period. Ever. But the Sixers have lots of young, athletic players and could present the sort of puzzle that Paul sometimes delights in solving.
Most compelling storyline: Remember when Elton Brand told the Clippers he was going to re-sign with them and allow them to also add Baron Davis in the summer of 2008? I bet the Clippers do! And that is this series' most interesting plot: will the Sixers' fourth or fifth option be booed in Los Angeles?
This series would be awful.
Likelihood of occurrence: You have a better chance of picking the next 50 Kentucky Derby winners right now.
Series predictions: Everyone dies of boredom unless Iguodala and Griffin decide to have a dunk contest midway through Game 2, or Nick Young wins the Finals MVP, or both. And Clippers in six.
Man. I'd love to make the Finals just so everybody is forced to watch all the terrible basketball we watched throughout the season. Does that make me a terrorist?