Interesting matchup tonight in OKC as the Sixers in Year 3 of Sam Hinkie’s rebuild plan through tanking take on an OKC club which once again finds itself without Kevin Durant. OKC enters tonight at 5-3 and in third place in the West after a Tuesday night blowout win over the Wizards. Sixers enter tonight as the league’s only winless team at 0-8 with a league worse team differential of -13.6 per game.
For Sixer fans—the Hinkie tanking plan to date has been trying. In 2013-14, the Sixers went 19-63 while losing 26 straight games at one juncture. The 2014-15 season was worse with an 0-16 start and an eventual season mark of 18-64. The tangible pieces assembled to date ‘on the court’ are Nerlens Noel a power forward defensive specialist who missed his first season due to a knee injury. Joel Embiid, a center from Kansas who will probably miss his first two NBA seasons due to chronic foot issues and surgeries. Plus, Jahlil Okafor who was taken third in the 2015 draft from Duke and is a nice low post offensive center who struggles defensively. Undrafted TJ McConnell from Arizona at point guard, Nik Staukas from Michigan at shooting guard, and Jerami Grant from Syracuse round out the starting five. Philadelphia is coached by former Spurs assistant Bret Brown.
For a prestigious franchise like the Sixers who have won three NBA titles and had players like Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, Mo Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson—the Hinkie Era has been tough to swallow.
OKC enters a string of at least five games without Kevin Durant who is sitting a minimum of 7-10 days due to a strained hamstring sustained against the Wizards. Russell Westbrook has been spectacular offensively this season and will lead a starting lineup rounded out by Serge Ibaka, Anthony Morrow, Steven Adams and Andre Roberson. Much will be needed offensively from Enes Kanter off the bench in these games without Durant.
Westbrook leads the NBA in assists while OKC has already amassed four games with at least 25 assists. It will be intriguing to see if Westbrook can continue to remain patient distributing the ball with Durant sitting. Ibaka, Waiters and Kanter all have to be solid scoring the ball when they have open looks.
Despite the lack of Durant and the Sixers’ 0-8 league worse record it will be an interesting game to watch from a standpoint of seeing how Westbrook adjusts his play without Durant, and to see if Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor can lead their team to a win and avoid the 0-9 start.
MJ