Say what you want about the tank, but Philadelphia is at least providing entertaining, competitive games. Though they let the games get out of hand late, they team still proved to put forth a competitive, watchable basketball game for fans to watch. Going into the season, we could not have said that would be the case with any certainty.
They return to the court tonight for what will be their third game in four games. For the second consecutive season, they also open the Wells Fargo Center by hosting the Miami Heat. That means that just like Michael Carter-Williams did last season, Sixers fans get to see Nerlens Noel debut against the reigning conference champions.
Noel is undoubtedly the main attraction to the Sixers in this early stage of the season. With Carter-Williams still recovering from surgery, all eyes will squarely be placed on Nerlens Noel.
After struggling offensively, likely due to some opening day jitters, Noel rebounded to make an additional five field goals (in the same amount of attempts, 11) than he did in the first game. With 14 points and 10 rebounds against the Bucks, the rookie got his first career double-double in the books.
As the Sixers continue to annually unveil their prized lottery picks against the Heat, the matchup itself represents a showcase of a team they aspire to be. Miami, after drafting Dwayne Wade in the lottery, used him as a building block to form a contender around him, as well as attract other superstars to Miami like Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James. That’s the plan for Philadelphia right now, to use pieces like Carter-Williams, Noel and hopefully Embiid to build the next Miami Heat squad of the Eastern Conference.
Game Notes:
- Rookie K.J. McDaniels left last night’s game after injuring his hip. Only playing 14 minutes, McDaniels was able to record a quick 12 points. He will be evaluated later today for the extent of the injury.
- In last year’s home opener, the Sixers knocked off the Heat 114-110.
- Filling in for Carter-Williams, third-year player Tony Wrotten is averaging an impressive 18 points per game, while issuing 6.5 assists in the young season.
- Miami has won its only game of the season thus far, beating the Washington Wizards 107
- The 76ers have not started out 0-3 in nine years.
- In the 4th quarter this season, the Sixers have been outscored 45-25.-95 at home. Chris Bosh had a monster game, scoring 26 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.
Injuries: Josh McRoberts (toe) will play tonight, while Danny Granger (hamstring) and Udonis Haslem (quad) will be game-time decisions for Miami. McDaniels’ status is uncertain for the game at publishing time, while Carter-Williams (shoulder), Embiid (foot), Jerami Grant (ankle) and Jason Richardson (knee/foot) are out for the 76ers.
Projected Lineups:
Miami:
PG- Norris Cole
SG-Dwayne Wade
SF- Luol Deng
PF- Shawne Williams
C- Chris Bosh
Philadelphia:
PG- Tony Wrotten
SG- Hollis Thompson
SF- Chris Johnson
PF- Nerlens Noel
C- Henry Sims
Prediction: Miami rolls in this game with a 20 point victory, as the Sixers are still looking for consistent scoring from their roster.
