The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Preview: 5 Things to Look For in Opener

By Kevin Kolodziej

Oct 8, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers won 108-105. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers won 108-105. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 23, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) poses for portraits during Oklahoma City Thunder media day at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 23, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) poses for portraits during Oklahoma City Thunder media day at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

2 – How Will Joel Embiid Perform Against Steven Adams & Enes Kanter?

There hasn’t been this much excitement surrounding a Philadelphia 76ers rookie-debut since Allen Iverson made his in 1996.

And while Joel Embiid fared well against some of the better big men in the league (including Andre Drummond, Al Horford and Hassan Whiteside) in the preseason, the regular season is a whole different ball game.

While the Oklahoma City Thunder don’t have any real All-Star caliber big men this season, they have a solid duo in Steven Adams and Enes Kanter. Adams is more of a rebounding, defensive-minded center while Kanter is capable of putting up points.

Embiid was certainly impressive in the preseason (with averages of 11.4 points, 6.0 rebounds in under 15 minutes per game), but the intensity will surely be higher on Wednesday night than it’s been over the last few weeks.

Adams and Kanter will test Embiid on both ends of the floor on Wednesday, and it should be exciting to see how he performs against the veteran duo.