The new-look Philadelphia 76ers will open their 2024 season at home against the Milwaukee Bucks and former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers. The Sixers, despite their new look, will be without center Joel Embiid and their marquee free agent signing, Paul George. George is recovering from a bone bruise suffered in the free season and will miss the opener as he recovers.
This, combined with the continued ramp-up with center Joel Embiid, will mean that the Sixers won’t be putting their complete lineup on the court for the foreseeable future. What the Sixers can count on is guard Tyrese Maxey leading the way for the team as they search for a title.
Sixers game information
Who: Milwaukee Bucks (0-0) at Philadelphia 76ers (0-0)
When: 7:30 pm EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
Watch: ESPN
Latest on the Sixers
The Sixers spent the offseason revamping a roster that hasn’t been able to get anywhere in the playoffs, despite the presence of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, to go along with a number of players that were brought in to work with them. The big news for Philadelphia this offseason was the addition of Paul George, who brings a skill set and play that the Sixers feel will be much better with its other two stars. While George is the big name, the Sixers also revamped almost the entire roster.
In addition to George, The Sixers brought back Andre Drummond, who will be counted on to give Embiid rest and take on a starting role when Embiid isn’t in the lineup. Drummond gives the Sixers a nightly double-double from the center position, and it doesn’t take a lot of minutes to do it. Last season, with Chicago, Drummond only played 17.1 minutes per game and was still on the books for 8.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. With the Sixers, Drummond should see a little bit more in the minutes, especially when starting, so the team should be able to get good production in the middle, especially rebounding, where the Sixers have had issues in the past.
The Sixers also signed Caleb Martin from the Heat, Eric Gordon came over from the Suns, Reggie Jackson from the Nuggets, and brought Guerschon Yabusele over from Europe. The Sixers are hoping that Martin’s presence will help open the floor for Maxey and George while Gordon and Jackson will be leaned on as veterans who can contribute minutes and shoot at the point guard position. After a “coming out party” during the Olympics, which included a huge dunk on Lebron James, Yabusele is returning to the NBA and looks like he will be a nice addition to the team.
The Sixers, having remade almost the entire roster, still might be able to get some quality minutes from first-round draft pick Jared McCain, a quality shooter and playmaker from Duke University. While McCain suffered an injury during the preseason, he’s no longer on the injury report and looks ready to make his debut today.
Whether head coach Nick Nurse decides to give McCain any sort of quality minutes remains to be seen, as Nurse isn’t a coach known for using rookies much. Fan favorites Ricky Council IV and Kelly Oubre Jr. are returning to the Sixers as they look to have one of their most complete rosters since Embiid has been on the team.
Latest on the Bucks
Everything with the Bucks starts and stops with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. The team brought Lillard in last season to pair with Giannis in hopes of getting the team back to the finals and a title, which they last won in 2021. They dismissed head coach Adrian Griffin last season, while the Bucks were 32-14 at the time, and replaced him with former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers. Under Rivers, the team that was first in the Eastern Conference the year prior finished just 17-19 to give them a 49-33 record on the season, good enough for third place in the East.
While Giannis and Lillard are the two stars, the team still returns Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, the latter of whom will miss tonight’s matchup, with Gary Trent Jr., Bobby Portis, Taurean Prince, Delon Right, AJ Green, and Pat Cannaughton, giving them a deep and powerful roster as they head into their first full season under Rivers. The Bucks are looking to regain their form from years prior and establish themselves as one of the top teams in the East that still has defending champion Boston Celtics, the surprise loaded roster of the New York Knicks, the Sixers, along with the Cavaliers, Magic, and Heat who all had strong seasons last year.
The big question for the Bucks, despite their obvious talent, is going to be whether Doc Rivers can get them to the next level, competing and beating the Celtics for another shot at a title. If history repeats itself, then the Bucks may be in for a season that sees them fall further than the 3rd place finish of just last year. Having a losing record under Rivers doesn’t look good, but the team will be hoping that with a whole offseason under their belt to get used to Rivers’ style and system, they’ll be able to get back to the top of the conference and league.
Prediction
Sixers 112 – Bucks 107
