Sixers Preseason: What To Expect In Game One
By Josh Wilson
The Philadelphia 76ers preseason kicks off on Tuesday against the Washington Wizards, and anticipation hasn’t been this high in years for a preseason game, for most Sixers fans. Why is this? Well, for one, it’s the first year we could see some serious winning coming from this team since Sam Hinkie and the gang started their lengthy rebuild. Jerami Grant said during training camp that he expects the Sixers to do some serious winning, and even possibly contend in the playoffs.
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Woah, playoffs? Sixers? Those words haven’t been said in a sentence that wasn’t out of mockery in quite a while. But yes, Jerami Grant said it, and he appears to be serious. This got me pumped at first, but thinking more, of course players are going to be confident, and of course they’ll show that confidence to the media.
But it’s not something that is that far out. Last season, I covered the Charlotte Hornets for Swarm and Sting, and I had lots of fun looking into this young team looking to sneak into the lower end of the playoffs. They nearly did, in fact, but just barely missed out after ending their season on a skid.
I see a lot of similarities with the Hornets. They’ve both got true big men at center (Al Horford). Although the Hornets have a more solid point guard starter, it’s pretty clear that the rosters are both young and on their way to being one of the contenders in the Eastern Conference.
Preseason is something a lot of fans aren’t too excited about usually, but for Sixers fans, it’s a big deal. There are legitimate position battles to watch throughout the preseason, and we’re going to get our first look at how some players will fit into this system.
Nik Stauskas, looking for redemption
Sep 28, 2015; Galloway, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) during media day at Stockton Seaview Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
If anyone on this team has anything to prove, it’s Nik Stauskas. Although at first the Sacramento Kings were welcoming to Sauce Castillo, they seemed eager to move him this offseason. The Philadelphia 76ers now welcome him in with open arms, and hope this year goes better than last year.
He averaged just 4.4 points per game in his rookie season, and only shot 32.2% from beyond the arc, where the Kings wanted him to succeed the most. Although in college Nik was seen as a shooter, he has openly said he does not want to have the pressures of being labeled as one.
The Sixers give him more playing freedom. He will be able to get to the hoop when he wants, and also take three pointers when he’s comfortable.
For the first preseason game, I’m expecting Stauskas to look more versatile with the freedom than he did last year, taking more drives to the hoop, but also keeping himself distanced and ready to load up for a few three pointers.
Okafor & Noel
Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel have to be one of the most anticipated front court duos in all of the league, and this will be the first time ever we are seeing them, so it’s obvious that they are something to look for. Noel will be shifting more over to the power forward position after playing 94% of plays at the center last year, so that Okafor can take over at center.
Although this seems subtle, I’ll be on the lookout to see how Noel is adjusting to this new position. He was rumored to be working on more of a mid-range shot this year, something he didn’t have last year. Noel only took 8.4% of shots within 16 feet to the three point line, and only made 27.3% of those attempted shots. I’m looking to see an immediate improvement in that in game one.
With Okafor, I’m hoping I see some defensive effort, and I hope I see him take at least six free throws, making four of them, since free throws are now a hot topic regarding both Noel and Okafor.
Possibly even a bigger thing to watch other than their individual contributions is the two of them working together. Some are skeptical that they will have issues working well together, but if they could shut these rumors down by working together well in the first preseason game, it would set the season off to a great start.
Point guard battles
The point guard battles have already started with training camp. With Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall (both are accepted as players who will make the team) out with injury, the window is open for a lot of the younger guards lobbying for a starting spot.
This is the most uncertain part of the roster right now, and there’s several guards that the Sixers have to choose from.
My underdog to watch is Scottie Wilbekin. I’m watching him because he had a decent summer league and I’m looking to see if he can continue this success.
Other players that will likely get significant playing time are Pierre Jackson and Isaiah Canaan.
A win to start the year?
Although the Sixers are going up against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards, I still think a win is something we could expect. The preseason is a time the Wizards will use to play more bench players, and the Sixers may be evenly matched. Even though a win in the preseason wouldn’t mean much, it would still be good to see.
UPDATE: Pierre Jackson has been announced out for Tuesday’s game with a groin injury.
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