Basketball is finally back and the Sixers kick off their 2015 campaign against the Boston Celtics tonight at TD Garden. A lot of people are quick to play down the Sixers or recognises the weaknesses in the team, but we’re here to make three bold predictions for tonight’s season opener.
3: Nerlens Noel triple double
Last season Nerlens Noel exploded in terms of productivity and you have to feel like his potential knows no limits. ,After the All-Star Break, he averaged 13.1 points per game and 10 rebounds per game. He was so close last year to averaging a double-double but to kick start the new season in a new role, our bold prediction is a triple double. It may be a bit too bold to say what the stats would be but judging off of pre-season blocks, rebounds and his new found ability to steal could well be the categories. Noel is going to be a key piece in the Sixers puzzle and we’re expecting him to come out swinging against a confident Celtics team.
2: Nik Stauskas to make an impact
Sauce is said to be a gametime decision, but after Nik retweeted this yesterday..signs of a more imminent return are promising. He may not play a lot, but the Sixers desperately need some efficiency when it comes to shooting. The team ended pre-season struggling to shoot from outside the ark and there were times where even two pointers became an option with only five players on the current roster shooting over .400%. Stauskas could well be the catalyst here and we’re going to predict that he plays a short stint and puts up more than five points.
1: Okanomore turnovers
Jahlil Okafor had a varied pre-season, demonstrating sensational footwork, great chemistry with Noel and became an intimidating rebounder. His shots were a little inconsistent and that’s natural. People need to stop expecting him to come out and achieve record breaking stats in his first game because it won’t happen. The raw talent is there, it just needs to be moulded. One thing that we’re predicting to improve however is turnovers. Okafor ended the pre-season with 18 turnovers and averaged 3.6 per game, more than anyone else on the team. It’s something that we’re sure the coaching staff would have noticed and began to improve in preparation for a team who are very quick on Offense. It might be a bit steep to predict Jahlil makes no turnovers in this game, but you will see a much more conservative approach when attacking the rim potentially resulting in no more than 3 turnovers.
