The Philadelphia 76ers are returning home on Wednesday night to take on the Detroit Pistons, as they look to even up their record after two losses to open the season.
The team will, once again, be without Joel Embiid and Paul George who, according to reports, will be evaluated later in the week. The Sixers’ roster was constructed to be at or near the top of the Eastern Conference with all of their pieces in play, but the team has yet to have Embiid or George on the court and it’s affected them to start the season.
Sixers vs Pistons: game information
Who: Detroit Pistons (0-4) at Philadelphia 76ers (1-2)
When: 7:00 pm EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports Detroit
Sixers vs Pistons: Betting odds
Moneyline: Detroit Pistons +150 | Philadelphia 76ers 180
Spread: Detroit Pistons +4 | Philadelphia 76ers -4
Total: Over/Under 219
Latest on the Sixers
Tyrese Maxey jumped into the top five in NBA scoring with a 45 points game against the Pacers, in what would be the Sixers first win of the season, 118-114 in OT on Sunday.
While Maxey had some shooting issues in the first two games, he came around on Sunday shooting 43.8% from the floor on the way to his season-high 45 points. Maxey will, more than likely, continue to have the three-point shooting inconsistencies until he’s able to get Embiid back on the floor and get some better looks.
Teams are able to key on him and make life difficult for the teams’ lone star until reinforcements return. What he’s shown, on Sunday, is that he’s willing to take on the leadership role and put the team on his back when he needs to.
While it’s not ideal for the whole season, Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon have taken turns adding scoring from the point guard position over the first three games and, between the two of them, they’re giving the Sixers just over 19 points per game.
Kelly Oubre Jr. has continued to show that he can be counted on while the team awaits the return of its two biggest stars. Oubre Jr. is averaging 21 points on the year and finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds to help defeat the Pacers.
A good sign for the Sixers is that Caleb Martin and Andre Drummond are finding some rhythm for the team. In the win on Sunday, the two combined for 26 points and 29 rebounds which will help the team going forward as they grow more accustomed to playing together and in their roles.
The key for the Sixers will be to not run Tyrese Maxey into the ground as they await the return of Embiid and George. After the Pistons game, they’ll play again on Saturday which should give him some more rest, but then it’s a slate of three games in five days.
Maxey is leading the league in minutes at 42.7 per game and despite his youth, energy, and health, it’s not a good recipe for the remainder of the season. Maxey can handle it and it shouldn’t be an issue for the immediate future but will be something to keep an eye on as the team gets deeper into the season.
Latest on the Pistons
Where do you start with the Pistons? They’re currently last in the league with an 0-4 record and there’s not much hope that they’ll be getting out of that position any time soon. They’ve been the worst team in the league the past two seasons and at the bottom of the Eastern Conference for three of the last four.
The trio of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren provides Detroit with a good young core moving forward but the loss of 2022 first-round pick, Ausur Thompson, at least for the past 8 months, hasn’t helped this young team. Thompson was lost to a blood clot last season and has yet to play for the Pistons so far this year.
The big free agent that the team brought in was none other than Tobias Harris, who escaped Philadelphia after a tumultuous tenure. He maintained 17.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, which aren’t bad numbers but he never seemed to live up to the large contract. Harris will be counted on to work with the younger stars Detroit has and show them what it means to be a professional and handle adversity.
Cunningham and Ivey are providing the Pistons with a quality one-two punch to start the season as both are averaging over 20 points per game but after those two, the quality just falls way off. Tim Hardaway Jr. is 32 and has his best days behind him. Despite being only 27 years old and a pretty good three-point shooter (38.5% for his career), Malik Beasley is on his sixth team of his career and fifth over the past four years.
What to watch for
The Sixers should be able to win against the Pistons with relative ease. Despite missing Embiid and George, the team has Tyrese Maxey and on nights like tonight, that may be all you need. With the emergence of Kelly Oubre Jr., the combination of Martin and Drummond, along with Lowry and Gordon providing scoring from their position, the Sixers should be able to easily walk away with a victory.
There could be some Jared McCain sightings this evening which is exciting to look forward to. Against the Pacers, McCain saw his minutes jump up to 17 for the game and despite only scoring four points, he’s shown an energy and drive that is encouraging for the Sixers and their fans.
Head Coach Nick Nurse will more than likely, use a deep rotation against a struggling Pistons team, while getting his starters quality minutes to improve their play together. He’ll want to use games like this to see what he can get from players like McCain, Guerschon Yabusele, and KJ Martin.
Prediction
Sixers 118 – Pistons 104
Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
