Which Nets will be challenged most in back-to-back vs. Raptors, Sixers

Part of the reason it was important for the Nets to win each of their two recent games against the Charlotte Hornet was Brooklyn has a challenging back-to-back in front of them.

Saturday, they’re on the road against the Toronto Raptors. Then they head back to Barclays Center to face the Philadelphia 76ers. Two teams toward the top of the Eastern Conference.

Now, both teams have some impressive guards in Kyle Lowry (Raptors) and Ben Simmons (Sixers), so Spencer Dinwiddie and Garrett Temple will be busy. But their best players are bigs.

Toronto has Pascal Siakam. Philadelphia has Joel Embiid — who just torched the Boston Celtics.

Now, the Raptors also have Marc Gasol and Philly has Al Horford — assuming he’s healthy by Sunday. Both create problems — different ones from one another — but Siakam and Embiid set the tone for their respective teams.

Either way, four Nets are going to be very busy for the next two games: Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, DeAndre Jordan and Wilson Chandler.

Now, Chandler won’t be available until Sunday. He’ll have to help with Horford and keep track of him along the perimeter whenever he spells Prince. The forward will get the chance to prove his worth right away.

Though, Prince has to worry about Saturday’s game first. Siakam improved immensely in 2018-19, and he’s better this year if you can believe it. This is a big test for Prince, and he’ll need some help from Brooklyn’s two centers.

For Allen and Jordan, Embiid will be a tough matchup, of course. He’s the game’s best center.

And Sunday’s game could be one where Jordan starts. As much as Embiid can shoot the three a bit, teams are willing to give up the long ball. They’d rather put up a fight in the paint.

Either way, Allen’s strength will be challenged — big time. Even if he struggles, a matchup with Embiid should give the young center a greater understanding of how he needs to further his game in order to continue his ascension as one of the NBA’s better centers.