Following back-to-back wins over LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets, the Sixers are set to take on the Wizards for the second time this season. They handled Washington during the two team’s first meeting back in the season opener, and Philly has only looked better and better since.
With that said, there are a handful of new key storylines worth paying attention to during this Washington-Philadelphia rematch:
Sixers v Wizards, part two.
Can the Sixers live up to hype?
For the first time in a very long time, the Sixers are getting some national recognition as being one of the top teams in the entire NBA. They currently have the best record in the league, rank towards the top of most site’s “power rankings”, and Joel Embiid was just ranked as Bleacher Report’s leading MVP candidate.
Seeing as the Sixers are 6-1 and lead the NBA in a handful of statistical categories – the praise is much deserved. However, with expectations comes pressure. Gone are the “underdog” days in south Philadelphia. This Sixers team is good, and people expect them to be good.
The Wizards have just two wins on the season and are hungry for better results. If the Sixers simply “go through the motions,” they’ll be in danger of dropping an otherwise winnable game.
Is this version of Tobi sustainable?
After a rough season opener, Tobias Harris has completely taken the league by storm. He’s averaging 19.3 points per game and is shooting 52% from the field. He’s coming off his third career “player of the week” award, and fans of the team have been singing his praise pretty relentlessly over the last week plus.
Seeing this version of Harris is a fantastic sight, but the sample size is relatively small. Tobi has always been a productive scorer when it’s all said and done, but 47.2% from three feels like a pretty unreasonable number to stay at.
Who knows though, maybe Doc Rivers really is the “Tobias Harris whisperer.”
Ben Simmons gets another chance to further his DPOY case.
It’s early, but Ben Simmons looks like a frontrunner for the Defensive Player of the Year award. He’s locked up player after player, and it was no different the last time the Sixers played Washington. Simmons had his way with both Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal, giving them fits all night long.
On Wednesday night, Simmons gets another chance to defend two of the better scoring guards in the league. Another chance to cement his name at the top of the DPOY conversation.
Tip-off is at 7:00 PM ET. A win for the Sixers would put them at an NBA leading 7-1, further elevating their lead in the ever competitive eastern conference.
Mandatory Photo Credit: Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
