Andre Iguodala returns to the Wells Fargo Center tonight for the first time as a Warrior, as Golden State tries to give the Philadelphia 76ers their first loss of the season.
Golden State started their season off with an impressive win over the Lakers, in which Klay Thompson torched L.A. with 38 points. They then faced the other team from Los Angeles, the Clippers, and lost in a shootout. After a win over the Kings, they now are at 2-1 and 3rd in their division.
The key tonight for the Sixers will be if their offense can keep up with the scoring ability of this Golden State Warriors offense. We have seen the Sixers eclipse the 100-point mark in every game this season, but can they sustain this offensive success throughout the season, and especially against great offenses like this?
On defense, the Sixers need to close out on ALL shooters. This team will kill you with open jumpers if you give them the chance. The Sixers need to make these shooters uncomfortable, get a hand in their face, and contest every shot. Some shots will go down, that is just how good these shooters are on this team, but the Sixers need to do everything in their power to disrupt this offense's shooting.
Key Matchups:
Michael Carter-Williams vs Steph Curry
Michael Carter-Williams has played at a level so far this season where every time he goes up against an elite point guard, it will be a key matchup. On both ends of the court I think Michael needs to use his size to his advantage. That is one thing that he has over most point guards in this league, size. At 6'6", MCW needs to force Curry to take uncomfortable, off-balanced shots. Force Curry to pass the ball off and make his teammates beat you. Offensively, I would put MCW in a position where he could post-up Curry and use his nice touch around the rim to score points. This will be an interesting matchup tonight.
Thaddeus Young vs David Lee:
Lee has the size advantage over Young, which could hurt the Sixers in regards to rebounds on both ends of the floor. However, Thaddeus is a very versatile player. He handles the ball well for a big man, he runs the court like a gazelle, and his hustle on the court is unmatched. The Sixers need Thad to play big tonight when Lee is in the game.
James Anderson vs Klay Thompson
While this might be surprising to some, I think this matchup could decide tonight's game. Anderson is arguably the Sixers best perimiter defender so far this season. He will be going up against one of the best shooters in the league tonight in Klay Thompson. Klay has shown the ability to light it up from all areas on the court, and if he gets it going, this game could get out of hand in a hurry. With all of the other weapons on this Warriors team, the last thing the Sixers need is a huge game out of Klay Thompson. Look for Anderson to lock him down tonight and try to minimize his effectiveness throughout the game.
Projected Starting Lineups:
Sixers:
PG- Michael Carter-Williams
SG- James Anderson
SF- Evan Turner
PF- Thaddeus Young
C- Spencer Hawes
Warriors
PG- Steph Curry
SG- Klay Thompson
SF- Andre Iguodala
PF- David Lee
C- Andrew Bogut
Prediction
The Warriors have a very talented team. They have a very deep team. These are two things that many think the Sixers lack. This makes it hard for anyone to predict the Sixers to win this game, despite an impressive 3-0 record. I think tonight, either the Sixers offense won't be able to keep up with this Warriors offense, or the Sixers defense has a hard time getting stops. Either way, the Sixers come down to Earth tonight with their first loss of the season. Warriors win 119-102.
