The Philadelphia 76ers still have aspirations of chasing a championship despite everything that has gone on with Ben Simmons at the moment. While the 25-year old All-Star will be out indefinitely, the Sixers are looking to build off a 1-0 start against one of the better teams in the league.
The Sixers will host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday in their home opener as they host one of the top teams in terms of title contenders in the NBA. The Sixers will be looking to see just how good they are against one of the league’s best.
Led by superstars Kevin Durant and James Harden as well as a host of really solid role players, the Sixers look to this one as a sort of barometer for them.
“Oh yeah, for sure,” said Joel Embiid. “That’s a team that everyone has them winning the title. So it will be a good test for us to see where we are, but I would imagine that if we play the same way we’ve been playing, I think we’re going to be fine. Obviously, they’ve got a bunch of great players. They lost their first game so they‘re gonna want to come out and make adjustments and obviously play better and try to get a win so we got to be ready.”
The fact that it is coming in the home opener as well is something that will only add to the hype around this game. It is a clash of two very talented teams with MVP candidates and the passionate fans of Philadelphia will be out there in full throttle.
“Obviously, playing at home is always a boost for us,” Embiid added. “It’s gonna help us a lot to be in front of our fans.”
This will also give the team a chance to see how they measure up with their new lineup. With the Simmons situation still ongoing, it is giving others a chance to step in and make an impact.
“When we play teams that are considered the top of the East, teams that did well last year, for sure we can get a good barometer of where we stand, but having a younger team, so to speak, there will always be areas we can grow throughout the season,” said Tobias Harris. “We know as a group, this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon for this group. Young players in lineups now, new experience for a lot of guys.”
The biggest example of this is second-year guard Tyrese Maxey who is taking the starting point guard role from Simmons at the moment. He is ready to step up and make an impact on this team against a legitimate contender like the Nets.
“I get up to play every game, I’m not gonna lie to you,” smiled Maxey. “Basketball is fun, it’s my passion, I’m blessed to do it every single day. I think the Lord every morning and every night because it’s a blessing to be able to play against the best of the best. Brooklyn is one of the best teams in this league talent-wise. It’s gonna be a good test for us and I can’t wait to get started.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
[listicle id=52336]
[lawrence-related id=52829,52790,52786]