Philadelphia 76ers 2016 Schedule Breakdown: October/November

The Philadelphia 76ers will struggle once again this season, but how will they fare in a month by month breakdown?

It’s almost Halloween, which means it’s almost the start of the NBA season. The Philadelphia 76ers were supposed to be an exciting team to watch, but some of that excitement has dimmed with the injury of top pick Ben Simmons. Joel Embiid and Dario Saric now headline the team as the main attraction, and the top offensive players that will lead the Sixers to an improved season.

After just 10 wins last season, the Philadelphia 76ers added some veteran talent to boost the win column. With more talent this season than the past three, the competitiveness of the team should see some marginal improvement. The youth of the team will shine through at times, but we’ll see a reduction of simple mistakes that plagued the team nightly last season.

With the 2016-17 season under way, the Philadelphia 76ers will try to progress in the rebuild process, and it it’ll happen right off the bat. Here’s the breakdown on the October/November months of the Sixers’ schedule.

Record: 4-15

The Philadelphia 76ers will reach almost half their win totals in the first month of regular season basketball. The new excitement and feel of the team will spark some early success, for the Sixers standards anyways. But who will the four wins come against?

Wins

vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, October 26th

The Oklahoma City Thunder are going through a major transition. With Russell Westbrook expected to dominate the league after the departure of Kevin Durant, the team as a whole is at best a contender for a low seed in the playoffs. They still have the potential to surprise many, with star Russell Westbrook taking the load and Steven Adams coming into his own. The Philadelphia 76ers will benefit from the Thunder struggling to find offensive chemistry early on in the season. The team will be backed by a rarely filled Wells Fargo Center in their season opener.

vs. Indiana Pacers, November 11th

The Indiana Pacers will easily beat the Philadelphia 76ers in their first matchup, which is in Indiana just two days before the two meet in Philadelphia. Brett Brown’s savviness as a coach will have to shine through to overcome the talent differential that Paul George, Jeff Teague, and Myles Turner provide for Indiana. The Sixers will benefit from seeing the immediate impact of adjustments they made from the earlier matchup, and squeeze out a close victory.

vs. Miami Heat, November 21st

The Miami Heat might find themselves near the bottom of the league this season. The Heat backcourt holds the key for the team. With Hassan Whiteside being the anchor down low, the guard group of Goran Dragic, Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, and Dion Waiters will have to out perform their expectations. The Philadelphia 76ers will have to be able to attack the wing, despite Justise Winslow‘s spectacular defensive ability. This game will ultimately come down to Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor on the offensive side. The Heat will be up early but blow the lead late and the Sixers will snag their 3rd home win.

vs. Sacramento Kings, November 30th

The Sixers-Kings rivalry goes far beyond the court. The supposed “fleecing” trade that saw Philadelphia take on pick swaps, a 2019 draft pick, and Nik Stauskas put Kings management in the ever familiar spotlight for the wrong reasons. The attention this game will get will be ironic but important. DeMarcus Cousins will put on a show for fans, but the Philadelphia 76ers’ pace and space will subdue the Kings’ talented roster. This win will come by schematic reasons and will cause an uproar of praise and hope involving the potential to swap picks.

These four wins will show the league that wins won’t be as difficult to come by as it was last season. But with that, there will still be some terrible losses.

Biggest Loss

@ Toronto Raptors, November 28th

The Toronto Raptors have absolutely destroyed the Philadelphia 76ers in the past few seasons. The Raptors have won the last 12 match-ups between the two teams. And those wins came on total domination. In those twelve games the Raptors have outscored the Sixers 1,315 to 1,140. This domination will continue in the first month of the season. Expect the Raptors to win by 20+ points.

Marquee Matchup

@ Minnesota Timberwolves, November 17th

There’s nothing better than watching two potential stars go at it. That’s what the league will get when Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns face off. Last season, it was Jahlil Okafor who beat out Towns face to face. This time Embiid will have his go at the best young center in the league. Add-in his first time being on the court with former Kansas Jayhawk teammate Andrew Wiggins and the two highly praised rebuilds will put on a show. The Timberwolves will win this matchup at home, on their way to contending for a playoff spot.

The Philadelphia 76ers will start the season with four wins, hopefully on their way to their first twenty-win season in Brett Brown’s tenure. Early on, the pace and space will cater to the youthful roster, but the mistakes will be made and the team will find themselves in the cellar of the East alongside the Brooklyn Nets.

Next: TJ McConnell Is Locked and Loaded

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