The 6-1 Spurs travel to Philly tonight as Brett Brown will get the chance to coach against the team he grew up with in the NBA.
Brown, formerly an assistant coach under Greg Popovich for over a decade, has this Sixers team off to a surprising 4-3 start. His guys have been competing in each game, and have earned the respect of their opponents. The Sixers are coming off a home and home series against the Cavaliers, which they split 1-1. The Sixers won the first game decidedly, but lost the second one in double overtime. Evan Turner scored a career high 31 points in that second game, and despite the outcome, the Sixers looked really good in that game.
The Spurs come into town with a 6-1 record and coming off a 31-point rout of the Knicks on Saturday. This team is one of the deepest teams in the league, and they get production from every guy on the court. This allows their core players to get extended periods of rest within a game. The Sixers will most likely have to play all of their big men tonight in order to be able to body up San Antonio's deep front court of Duncan, Diaw, Splitter, and Bonner.
Keys to the game:
I see James Anderson being a big factor in this game. MCW has proved that he can hold his own against elite talent in this league, but Anderson has struggled mightily this season in the 2-guard position. Tonight he needs to lock down on defense so to not let San Antonio's shooters get hot, and he needs to knock down his open shots when he gets them. If he can become a reliable option on offense, that will add another dangerous dimension to this Sixers team.
I also see the bench being a huge factor in this game. The Spurs are comfortable going 10 or 11 players deep in order to keep their older veterans fresh for later parts of the game. Their bench players consistently produce when they need to. For the Sixers, I see Tony Wroten being a big factor for tonight's game. He has shown that he can provide that spark off the bench, and he needs to do that tonight.
Lavoy Allen also needs to play big tonight, in both senses of the word. He, Daniel Orton, Brandon Davies, and maybe even Kwame Brown will have to step up and put in some good minutes for the Sixers if and when they are asked. I could see the Sixers sliding Thad to the 3 and Evan to the 2 in order to create more favorable match-ups in the front court.
Projected Starting Lineups
San Antonio
PG- Tony Parker
SG- Danny Green
SF- Marco Belinelli
PF- Tim Duncan
C- Boris Diaw
Philadelphia
PG- Michael Carter-Williams
SG- James Anderson
SF- Evan Turner
PF- Thaddeus Young
C- Spencer Hawes
Prediction
I think the Sixers inexperience and youth will prove to be a liability in this game. The Sixers will keep the game close, as they are great competitors, but the Spurs will pull away in the second half. I see Evan Turner coming back to earth, failing to score 20 points or more in this one. MCW is held in check offensively. Spurs come out with a victory 94-76.
