Sixers Look To Keep Wins Rolling At Home Against Timberwolves

With the shakeup only beginning, how will the Philadelphia 76ers handle the Minnesota Timberwolves?

Jan 4, 2016 – Minnesota Timberwolves (12-22) @ Philadelphia 76ers (3-33), 07:00pm, Wells Fargo Center

After losing to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, the Minnesota Timberwolves come to the Wells Fargo center tonight to play the Philadelphia 76ers. In their previous matchup, the T’Wolves stole the game from the Sixers in the final minutes. The good news from the first matchup was how dominant Jahlil Okafor was over Karl-Anthony Towns in that game; not only was Jahlil scoring at will, but he even pushed KAT into foul trouble, forcing him out of the game.

This next game should be a more interesting one, with Ish Smith and potentially Elton Brand joining the mix for the 76ers, on top of Jerry Colangelo and Mike D’Antoni joining the Sixers in the front office and bench. Since the new names (except Brand) came on board, the Sixers have tripled their win total… from one to three, that is.

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Nonetheless, the Sixers are showing signs of progress, with Nerlens Noel as the main beneficiary. With a ball handler who can run and penetrate, the Sixers can better pace-and-post as Noel runs and catches lobs while Jahlil can post if the Sixers don’t have numbers. Just looking at Nerlens you can tell the difference, with him being more engaged and aware on offense, and we can all agree that the less jumpers he takes the less migraines we get.

With the new faces joining the Sixers, the culture has changed in the organization. While Sam Hinkie doubled-down on attaining assets and youth, Colangelo and Co. are trying to shake the poor headlines and to create respect around the league. Youth is still the building block for the Sixers that we currently see, but the laser-like focus that Hinkie had is becoming a little more frayed with assets being dumped (two 2nd round picks for Ish and cutting Christian Wood to make room for Brand) to appease the old schoolers. Time will tell if this new step will get us closer to the elite team group as opposed to the middling team group

What To Watch For

The matchup of the day will be the battle of the rookies, Jahlil vs. KAT. As mentioned above, KAT was ineffectual against Jahlil all game and will be itching to prove his number one overall status tonight. If Jahlil is aggressive from the outset he can once again knock KAT off of his game and onto the bench, while Towns needs to find any type of energy plays to take advantage of Jah’s lead feet. Cuts, putbacks, and catch-and-shoots are all things that KAT does well, and can give Jah trouble with.

As somewhat of a 1B answer to this question, Andrew Wiggins is also a player to keep track of this game. He was the main reason the T’Wolves were able to get the win in Minneapolis against the Sixers, coming on late in the third quarter and throughout the fourth. He has become adept at back to the basket moves, creating efficient shots around the rim. The Sixers need to prevent him from getting going at any time during the game.

Final Take

The Sixers gave it their all in the first matchup but couldn’t come away with the win. Things have changed this time around for them with a new point guard leading the way in Ish Smith. He has brought a stabilizing force to the PG position in Philly, from which they hadn’t had since last time he was running point.

Prediction – Karl-Anthony redeems himself as the leading Rookie of the Year candidate against Jahlil, but the Sixers come out on top with a balanced effort on the team. We also see Jahlil showing some defensive chops, when he blocks Wiggins once in the game!

Where To Catch The Game

• Watch it! – CSNPhilly is broadcasting the game
• Hear it! – 97.5 has the game on the radio
• Stream it! – NBA League Pass is available for anyone out of market