By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly Staff
The Philadelphia 76ers opened their preseason on Friday night with a 104-84 win over Melbourne United. For the most part, everything was positive about the win from Markelle Fultz's shot to Ben Simmons' passing, but unfortunately the team didn't leave the match-up unscathed.
Veteran forward Wilson Chandler, acquired in the offseason from the Denver Nuggets, left the game in the first half after injuring his hamstring. On Saturday, the Sixers revealed that Chandler had been diagnosed with a strained left hamstring and he'll miss at least 2-3 weeks.
Philadelphia 76ers forward Wilson Chandler underwent an MRI today, which revealed a strained left hamstring. He sustained the injury during Friday's preseason game against Melbourne United.
Chandler is out and will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks.
This comes as quite a blow for the Sixers as Chandler was projected to be one of the first guys off the bench behind Robert Covington. Head coach Brett Brown will have to find a way to fill that hole with the regular season starting on October 16. If Chandler misses just the minimum amount of time, he could return before the opener, but if not he could be sidelined for the Sixers' first few games.
On Friday night, Jerryd Bayless got minutes in Chandler's absence, so that is a possibility. Brett Brown has been impressed by Bayless in practice, which is why he got a look on Friday night. This could also open up a chance for Landry Shamet and Furkan Korkmaz to get extended minutes, especially in the preseason.
Philadelphia continues their preseason schedule on Monday, October 1 against the Orlando Magic. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. from the Wells Fargo Center.