The 76ers finished the preseason with a record of 2-5, which is very bad. Tonight will be their first regular season game this year. The Miami Heat played their first game yesterday actually, and they beat the Chicago Bulls by a score of 107-95. ESPN has the Miami Heat at number one in the power rankings to start the season, and they had the 76ers at number thirty, last in the NBA, so this game isn't too evenly matched.
Key Matchup: Evan Turner and LeBron James: Evan Turner might be the best player on this 76ers team, and LeBron James is the best player in the entire NBA, so obviously this is going to be a key matchup in this game tonight. Evan Turner is a guy who needs to start playing well, or else he will be declared a bust. Turner, 24, was drafted second overall in the 2010 NBA Draft. He has been a quality player over the course of his short career, but he was drafted second overall a few years ago, he should be doing much better. This season, he will be a key player for these 76ers, and they might actually win a few games if he steps up and reaches his potential. LeBron James was drafted first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft. He has been a solid player throughout his NBA career. He was actually the MVP of the NBA last season, and he carried his team to a NBA title, so he is obviously a great player. If the 76ers have any chance at winning this game tonight, then Evan Turner will have to play well, and the 76ers will have to shut LeBron James down. This seems like a rather impossible task, but if the 76ers are going to win then it will have to happen.
Game Prediction: Heat 102, Sixers 81: The Miami Heat are a much better team than the Philadelphia 76ers, in pretty much every aspect of the game. You'd think that the 76ers would have no chance, but this is the NBA and anything can happen because these guys are all professionals, and they all have good or bad games. That is why I think that the Heat will only win by 21 points.
This game symbolizes the beginning of an era for the Philadelphia 76ers. They traded their best player Jrue Holiday over the offseason to get Nerlens Noel and a 2014 first round pick from the Pelicans. This season, the 76ers will be in full tank mode, because they want to get a good pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. This draft will be a good one, because there are many great talents in the lottery this year. This game is a game that 76ers fans have looked forward to for awhile, and I am very excited. This game will be broadcasted on Comcast Sportsnet at seven o'clock tonight.
