It's hard to believe that the Sixers' brutal struggles early on in the 2024-25 season have not coincided with a difficult stretch of the schedule. Now, the Sixers' toughest week of games yet has arrived, including the team's first back-to-back of the season -- which just so happens to come against two Eastern Conference powerhouses.
Let's take a look at one key opposing player the Sixers must focus on handling in order to emerge victorious in each of their three games this week:
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vs. New York Knicks (Tuesday night, NBA Cup Group Play)
Player to watch: Karl-Anthony Towns
Joel Embiid is expected to make his season debut in this one, and what a stage it will be: a nationally-televised contest to kick off this year's NBA Cup, Embiid's return to the floor, a rematch of last year's epic Sixers-Knicks first-round playoff series and a battle of former enemies in Embiid and Towns.
The Sixers have always tried to enable Embiid to stay around the rim as much as possible, which makes true stretch fives like Towns difficult matchups at times. I would not be surprised if the Sixers have Embiid defend Josh Hart as much as possible and dare Towns to punish smaller players in the post.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said on Friday night that he envisions using Guerschon Yabusele -- his temporary backup center -- as a rotational power forward once Embiid returns, and that Yabusele and Embiid could share the floor quite a bit. The fit certainly makes sense, and a matchup like this one is the perfect opportunity to try it. Yabusele's strength makes him an option against Towns, which would allow Embiid to roam off Hart.
Meanwhile, Towns has been an unstoppable force after a three-game buffer. His game log displays a dramatic shift, starting with his 44-point, 13-rebound outburst in Miami on Oct. 30:
| Date / Opponent | Karl-Anthony Towns stats |
| Oct. 22 @ BOS | 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5-9 FG |
| Oct. 25 vs. IND | 21 points, 15 rebounds, 5-11 FG |
| Oct. 28 vs. CLE | 13 points, 10 rebounds, 4-8 FG |
| Oct. 30 vs. MIA | 44 points, 13 rebounds, 17-25 FG |
| Nov. 1 @ DET | 21 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 8-18 FG |
| Nov. 4 @ HOU | 17 points, 19 rebounds, 7-17 FG |
| Nov. 6 @ ATL | 34 points, 16 rebounds, 11-23 FG |
| Nov. 8 vs. MIL | 32 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 12-20 FG |
| Nov. 10 @ IND | 30 points, 9 rebounds, 11-19 FG |
Aside from Towns posing some difficult decisions for the Sixers in how they defend New York's offense, he is just playing outstanding basketball right now, with All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson making Towns' life much easier than it has been in the past.
vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Wednesday night)
Player to watch: Evan Mobley
It has been a dream season for the Cavaliers to date, as new head coach Kenny Atkinson's squad is the lone remaining unbeaten team in the NBA. They enter their Monday night contest against Chicago at 11-0, and Mobley's fourth-year breakout into the player many had hoped he could become is a major reason why.
Cleveland appears to have figured out how to optimize the a frontcourt which includes Mobley and center Jarrett Allen on offense. That is frightening for the rest of the NBA, as that pairing is already dominant on the defensive end of the floor. Allen's ability to serve as a stout rim protector allows Mobley to roam and create chaos, then recover to protect the rim himself if needed. Mobley has a ridiculous set of physical and athletic tools which help him torment opposing offenses. Now, he is causing headaches for opposing defenses, too.
Making this matchup even tougher is that Embiid will likely sit out of this game. Embiid is not expected to play both legs of any back-to-backs moving forward, and he almost certainly will not do so in his first two games back in action.
When Embiid is sidelined, the Sixers embrace small ball out of necessity. When Mobley shares the floor with Allen, the Sixers might not have anybody who even has a chance of handling Mobley unless they go to a Yabusele-Andre Drummond frontcourt. At that point, the Sixers' offense will be extremely limited.
The Cavaliers force teams to pick their poisons. Mobley's ability to create nightmarish matchups is at the center of it all -- and he is only getting better.
@ Orlando Magic (Friday night)
Player to watch: Franz Wagner
Since Paolo Banchero's devastating oblique injury -- one in a long line of frustrating injuries in the NBA during the young season -- all eyes in Orlando have turned to Wagner, who for the time being will be forced to carry an immense offensive burden.
In six games since Banchero went down, Wagner has averaged 18.7 shot attempts while playing 31.6 minutes per game. He has at least six assists in five of those games and at least six free throw attempts in three of those games. Orlando's team is built around two offensive engines in Banchero and Wagner, with an impenetrable defense being their strong suit. Now, though, they are reliant on just Wagner to constantly create offense for himself and others.
Naturally, honing in on Wagner will be atop the to do list for Sixers assistant coach Bryan Gates, who plays a critical role in assembling the team's defense. Expect Caleb Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr. to get the most cracks at defending Wagner, with Paul George being another quality option against the 23-year-old wing.
One solution could be sending aggressive help and daring the Magic to make them pay with spot-up threes; Orlando's combined 30.4 three-point percentage ranks 29th out of 30 NBA teams this season.
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