I have always felt that, above any other league, the NBA does a great job of trying to provide the best matchups on the biggest days. The NBA Opening Day brings three phenomenal games. The first is between the Celtics and Pistons, and the last one of the night is between the Spurs and Thunder. Sandwiched between the two games is this one between the 76ers and the Knicks.
The Philadelphia 76ers are most people's pick to win the Eastern Conference this season. Their additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James are the main cause of all of the excitement. Adding those two players to the lineup with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe gives them arguably the best starting lineup in the league. Their bench is a bit thin, with just Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as the main players. This team isn't built for the regular season; they are built for the playoffs.
There is obviously a long way to go before we get there. There will almost certainly be a learning period for the team to play together. There are now four guys on the team who could be the leading scorer for the team if they got the opportunity. There will be some questions about matchups and defense. There will be some struggles trying to play together. Those may come out tonight against a team with continuity and even more reason to be excited.
LEBRON JAMES’ 76ERS DEBUT SET FOR BLOCKBUSTER KNICKS SHOWDOWN AT MSG
The New York Knicks are raising a banner tonight and receiving their rings. That alone will make the entire fanbase of Madison Square Garden go nuts. This team has already captured the hearts of New York, and tonight is the final marker of the celebration from last year's championship. The Knicks have a deep starting lineup with Jalen Brunson being the superstar. Karl-Anthony Towns is still an elite option, and his backup, Andre Drummond, will help the team maintain some strength when he goes to the bench. I like him more than Mitchell Robinson, to be honest.
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I am most interested in seeing how the team responds after the opening ceremony. When the ball goes up for tip-off, it will essentially be the same as any other time. The Knicks have the edge in terms of familiarity. That helps quite a bit in basketball, but the big issue for them in this will be on defense. Teams have tried to exploit Brunson on defense for years, but against the 76ers, no matter who he guards, they will have the advantage.
The NBA Preseason doesn't always give us much insight, but I think there might be some opportunity for us to look into how the 76ers did their substitutions. They were trying to keep two of the four- James, Brown, Embiid, and Maxey- on the floor at all times. The Knicks might have a lot of adrenaline coming into the quarter, but I think the rotations for the 76ers, and being a bit amped up, might cause them to not shoot all that well. I think the total of 60.5 points in the first quarter is just a bit too high for this one. Give me the under 60.5 in the first quarter.
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