Can the Sixers stay hot as the tough schedule approaches?
The Sixers are winners of four straight, commanding the Eastern Conference’s top spot at 16-6. One critique of the Sixers blistering start could be the underwhelming schedule to begin the year.
The Sixers are 13-3 against teams with a losing record and 4-3 against teams above .500 thus far. But even in games against teams with a winning record, there can be asterisks added at the end of that record. The three losses have come against the Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, and the recently hot Memphis Grizzlies. Of course, the loss to the Nuggets was from the days of the Seven Sixers, after Seth Curry tested positive for Covid.
The Brooklyn Nets are a much different team now after trading for James Harden. The Sixers were also without Curry in the Jan. 7 game against the Nets. Still, the loss to the Nets without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant was the low point of the Sixers season. The third loss was a 2-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, with an unavailable Joel Embiid.
However, the Sixers have had some good wins. With A Tobias Harris game-winner against the Lakers and their first win without Joel Embiid last Saturday night against the Indiana Pacers. But, the Sixers got a big break in both wins against the Celtics, with Jayson Tatum out due to Covid protocols.
After Thursday night’s game against the 9-7 Portland Trail Blazers, the Sixers get their first look at the Brooklyn Nets’ new “Big 3” at the Wells Fargo Center Saturday night. It will be the toughest test on the Sixers’ top-five defense and whether they can score with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.
After Saturday night, the Sixers head out West for a 4-game road trip. They are starting in Sacramento against a sneaky 10-11 Kings team, coming off a close win against the Celtics. Following the Kings, they visit Portland for another game against the CJ McCollum-less Portland Trail Blazers. The final two stops of the road trip come in Phoenix and Salt Lake City. These are not the Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire Phoenix Suns of old, but with a backcourt of Chris Paul (16.1 points per game) and Devin Booker (23.1 PPG), and the emergence of Deandre Ayton (14.2 PPG) and Mikal Bridges (14.3 PPG) have the Suns shining in sixth place in the Western Conference.
Before heading back to Philly, the Sixers stop in Utah to face the 16-5 Jazz, who have the best record in the NBA. The Jazz feature a strong nine-man rotation, led by Donovan Mitchell (23.3 PPG) and 2-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. A few fun matchups will ensue during the Jazz game, notably Gobert vs. Embiid and 2016 Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons vs. the runner-up Donovan Mitchell.
If the Sixers want to put themselves among the title contenders firmly, the Sixers need to come out of this tough stretch with at least a winning record.
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