The Philadelphia 76ers are hosting the red-hot Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, hoping to start a winning streak while ending the Raptors' winning streak. The Sixers will be a bit shorthanded compared to their last matchup with the Raptors, with Joel Embiid doubtful tonight, along with Adem Bona, Paul George, and Kelly Oubre Jr., who are already out for the game.
Who: Toronto Raptors (9-5) at Philadelphia 76ers (8-5)
When: 7 p.m. EST
Where: XFinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pa.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass
The Sixers are hoping to start a winning streak after an unexciting 3-2 stretch over their last five games, with losses to the Pistons sandwiched between wins over the Raptors, Celtics, and, most recently, the Los Angeles Clippers. The team has, once again, seen injuries start to dismantle their squad, with Joel Embiid and Paul George continuing to recover from their injuries, as well as Adem Bona and Kelly Oubre Jr., being lost for a while with their own.
With all that you could pick apart about the Sixers' play of late, like the horrible play coming out of the half, continued poor three-point shooting, lack of interior defense and a few others, the team has had some bright spots that aren't being outshined.
VJ Edgecombe, the third overall pick in this past draft, has continued to show that he's a future star in the league. After an incredible first night in the league, he's settled down and is currently averaging 15.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, while shooting a respectable 37.5% on his three-point attempts. On nights when his shot isn't falling, he's stepped up with defense and rebounding, all while currently sitting second in the entire league at 37.3 minutes per game.
The only person in the NBA averaging more minutes on the court is his backcourt partner, Tyrese Maxey. Currently, Maxey is the only player in the league over 40 minutes per game with 40.4, and that doesn't seem to be going down any time soon. Maxey is also second in the league in scoring with 32.5 points per game and seventh in assists with 7.7 per game. He's taken control of the team this season and is the unquestioned leader as they move forward.
The Raptors' last loss was to the Sixers, 110-108, back on November 8th, in Philadelphia. Since then, they've won four games in a row with victories over the Hornets, Nets, Pavers and Cavaliers. Despite not looking like a top-tier team heading into the season, with some having them a bottom team in the conference, the Raptors have jumped out to a 9-5 record and third place in the Eastern Conference.
Much like the Sixers, though, the team hasn't been beating up on some of the top teams in the league, as they've had a fairly easy schedule. On the other hand, they've beaten the Cavaliers twice already and blew out the Bucks by 24 points to start off November. While the team might not look like much on paper, they're doing the right things and getting wins.
Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley have started every game for the team this season and are all averaging over 15 points per game. Combined with Jakob Poeltl and you have a consistent and tough starting five that can score as well as rebound very well. All leading to confidence and victories so far, to start the season.
While the Raptors don't shoot particularly well from beyond the three-point line, the team is third in the league in field goal percentage, so they're able to put up points in the paint, and that's a huge problem for a Sixers team that doesn't defend well in that area. The key tonight will be whether Trendon Watford, Dominick Barlow and Andre Drummond can continue to provide the front-court stability on both ends of the floor, enough to allow the Sixers' guards to create open looks.
The Raptors move the ball very well and are third in the league with 29.9 assists per game, so the Sixers will have to be active on the defensive end, more so than usual. If Quentin Grimes can play like he did against the Clippers in the last game, they could really give the Raptors fits.
The Sixers will have to establish their own ball movement and get their early shots to drop, getting into a rhythm that has to be maintained throughout. With the absence of George tonight, it may be a perfect time to get Jared McCain more than five minutes in an actual game, to start moving the guards more fluidly throughout.
Trendon Watford getting his second triple-double in as many games against the Raptors, an Edgecombe highlight dunk, and Maxey hitting huge shots to close out the game, that's what I'm counting on tonight.
Sixers 127 - Raptors 118
