Week 1 of the NBA Season is in the books, and the Sixers are off to a completely opposite start from last year’s 3-0 start, falling in each of their first three games this year. Will that lead to a reversal of fate? I doubt it. Did you miss anything from the past week? Here’s a quick recap to get you fully caught up on as you get back into the swing of all things Sixers and NBA.
The Good:
- They’re back! What else is better than talking about the method of tanking and whether they should continue to rebuild or just quick-fix it to try and compete for a No. 8 seed? Talking about the actual games on the court! We now have games and moments to breakdown, discuss and, above all, enjoy. There’s still 78 games left, so find the next game that fits your viewing schedule to get in on the #SixersTalk.
- Nerlens Noel is officially an NBA player. Remember all those guys saying, “Well we don’t know if he’ll even play.” There was little risk that he wouldn’t, given that an ACL surgery is nothing foreign to today’s doctors. Nevertheless, there were some skeptics, but here he is.
- Noel also has his first of what should be many double-doubles on Friday night in Milwaukee. He also flashed some scoring potential that game, dropping 14 points along with his 10 rebounds.
- Tony Wroten has been a pleasant surprise, filling in for Michael Carter-Williams and not missing a beat. “T-Wrotes” is averaging 19 points per game, as well as a 7.7:4.3 assists-turnover ratio, which is sufficient for an inexperienced point guard.
The Bad:
- After all, they are playing without three of their four building blocks of lottery picks, and their on-court performance has reflected that. While it has given people like Wrotten and Henry Sims a chance to shine and show what they have as future role players and other pieces, the Sixers are, at this point, an inferior team to nearly every opponent. It could be worse though, as they are at least hanging into games late.
- Nerlens Noel apparently will need to work up some conditioning, as he was apparently feeling “fatigue” on Saturday night, playing on a back-to-back. Playing only 25 minutes, he struggled for any type of production and after the game, Head Coach Brett Brown excused it as the rookie just being tired.
The Ugly:
- Scott O’Neil and Larry Brown were at odds this past week. Brown said what the Sixers are doing makes him “sick to my stomach.” O’Neil fired back, pointing out, in a rather silly statement, that Brown did not take his SMU Mustangs to the Final Four. Because apparently, O’Neil must have found them to be a powerhouse before Brown’s arrival.
- Eskin also dropped in a nugget that he heard from sources that General Manager Sam Hinkie once went down to the Sixers’ locker room and told them to shoot more three-pointers.
Around the NBA:
- In case you haven’t heard, LeBron James is back. Though he lost his return to Cleveland, he rebounded the following day to drop 8 points in overtime to beat the Chicago Bulls.
- The Lakers are off to an 0-4 start, and there are already rumblings that Kobe Bryant wants to move on.
- The Miami Heat have not missed a beat without LeBron James, cruising to three victories to start the season.
