The Philadelphia 76ers have had a very eventful offseason. They will face the Boston Celtics in game one of the preseason to show all their losing and hard work has paid off.
The Philadelphia 76ers will finally get to show all of their work from the offseason October 4th at 7p.m. against the Boston Celtics. The 76ers were struck with the injury bug, Jahlil Okafor (knee), Anthony Barber (wrist), and Ben Simmons (foot) will be not playing in their first preseason game. Jerryd Bayless (wrist) is also doubtful to play against the Celtics.
Starting Five
Brett Brown planned on having Simmons (and Bayless) in the lineup, but due to injury they will be replaced. Sergio Rodriguez and Gerald Henderson will start in the backcourt, both of which are new to the team. This shows that Philadelphia took the right step in the offseason. Robert Covington will start at small forward, hoping to demonstrate his new and improved jump shot.
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He will be teamed up with a couple Sixers making their debut, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric. Joel will be limited to just 12 minutes, all of which will be played in the first half, according to Brett Brown. Dario was fighting with pain in his back, but seems to be well enough to play. Dario will be taking on a big spot, hoping to show he can fill the void of Ben Simmons as a point forward.
What to Watch
Brown plans on Nik Stauskas playing some point guard, giving him more opportunities with the ball in his hands. Nik has really improved with his shooting over the offseason and will be able to show it off. The biggest “what to watch” will be Joel Embiid. After having 2 years away from a basketball game, Embiid will show he was worth the wait. The biggest thing he could help this team with could be perimeter shooting. In his 12 minutes on the court, he might be able to venture out behind the arc, and show his shooting stroke.
Key Matchup
The matchup to watch against the Celtics will be Al Horford against Joel. Horford being an All-Star center will provide Embiid with a quick taste of the NBA. Horford will be able showcase his outside shooting, causing Embiid to guard him out on the arc. It’ll be interesting to see Joel’s lateral quickness on defense against Horford.
Keys to the Game
For the Sixers to win this game, they will have to contain the electric scorer in Isiah Thomas. If the Sixers can hold him to just a few points, they will have removed a big threat — shooting. The Sixers struggled mightily with their shooting the past few seasons, so if they hit their shots, they might be able to pull away.
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The rebounding numbers usually tell who won the game. With the height and athleticism of the 76ers front court, they will pose a threat on the boards.
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Although this game doesn’t mean anything for stats or records, it does mean something for Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, and the rest of the 76ers. Being the laughing stock of the league, they have a chance to make a statement against the Celtics and for the rest of the league, even without their number one overall pick. The process has being going on for 3 years, and tonight could not only show that it’s over, but it was worth it.