The Philadelphia 76ers return home from a 3-game road trip that saw them drop the first two games, but then salvage a win in the finale of the trip to come home with some momentum. Their opponent on Wednesday night should offer the Sixers another “get right” game for them to shake off the cobwebs a bit.
Wednesday’s opponent, the hapless New York Knicks, come in with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference at 4-10 and they have not been able to find any real groove or footing to begin the season. This is a good chance for the Sixers to really get some momentum going into the next phase of the season.
With that being said, it’s time for the preview with everything you have come to expect:
How to watch Sixers vs. Knicks
- Date: Wednesday, November 20
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Injury Report
- Sixers: NONE
- Knicks: OUT: Reggie Bullock(neck), Elfrid Payton(right hamstring strain) PROBABLE: RJ Barret(left thumb sprain)
Storylines
Brown working out Sixers offense
The Sixers offense has looked out of sorts to begin the early season as they begin to really figure out the best way to work this oddly constructed roster. Coach Brett Brown has an uphill battle to really figure everything out and it won’t be an easy mission to complete.
Brown stated:
I think that my problems of conern at the moment are offensively related. It’s how do you take this team and grow it to where it’s functional and purposeful and I think that I said, and now that I’m living in it I mean it even more, I think it’s going to take every bit until Christmas to get some type of rhythm beat to what we do. Along that path, we will never forget, led by me, that we are a defensive based program and everything unravels if we don’t do that.
Horford thinks the defense can be better
On the flip side of things, the Sixers are expected to be an elite defensive team and heading into Wednesday’s game, the Sixers are ranked 11th in the league in defensive rating. It is not a terrible ranking for a team so new and one trying to work out a lot of kinks, but not where the Sixers expect to be.
Al Horford believes the defense can get better as he stated:
I think our defense is good, but I think it can be a lot better. I do believe that the more games we play and the more comfortable we get, the better it will be.
The more these guys play together, the better things will get better for this team as a whole.
Prediction
The Knicks are just not a good team. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett are good talents, but the roster as a whole is oddly constructed. Unlike the Sixers, the Knicks don’t have the talent to overcome the early awkwardness of the roster’s growing pains. Mitchell Robinson presents a challenge at the rim and he will give Joel Embiid a test down low, but the Sixers are the much more talented team and they should keep their record at home nice and clean.
Pick: Sixers by double-digits
Sixers vs. Knicks season series
Game 1 November 20:
Game 2 November 29:
Game 3 January 18:
Game 4 February 27:
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