The Sixer Sense
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5 Things We Learned From Philadelphia 76ers Loss vs Oklahoma City Thunder

By Jonathan Kelly

Oct 21, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) attempts a lay up against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 21, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) attempts a lay up against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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5 Things Philadelphia 76ers Learned From Loss to Oklahoma City Thunder

Wow, what a night to be a Philadelphia 76ers fan.

The Philadelphia 76ers future looks to be very promising if the opening night was any indication. There were five main takeaways from the game.  I can’t wait to share them with you so let’s get to it.

The Philadelphia 76ers are going to be competitive this year

I’ll be completely honest with you guys. After losing Ben Simmons, and seeing all the injuries that hit the Sixers this off season, I was a bit skeptical that they would be able to meet their lofty expectations. While watching the game last night though, it helped ease my concerns.

With Sergio Rodriguez creating shots for everyone else and Joel Embiid just embarrassing defenders (more on that in a bit), the Philadelphia 76ers are going to be just fine. The Philadelphia 76ers were more competitive than their records showed last season as 13 of their losses were decided by five points or less. This season, I expect to see many more close games in the Sixers future which will result in more winning opportunities much like last night.

The controlled the game nearly all 48 minutes and even held a six point lead heading into the fourth quarter. They shot better from the field than OKC which is something they failed to do many times last season. Something they have also improved this season is at protecting the rim. This was expected with Joel Embiid in the lineup but Richaun Holmes made a big impact as well. The Sixers did have the third most blocks in the NBA last season but they struggled to truly protect the rim as opposing big men gashed them. The key is being able to finish games and get those W’s in the win column. One step at a time though, and the Sixers are moving in the right direction.