Finally armed with some positive momentum, the Sixers will enter another week of basketball which provides the opportunity to stage a turnaround. But once again, the statuses of both Joel Embiid and Paul George will be unknown heading into this three-game stretch.
Embiid and George have each been ruled out for Sunday's game, but either could conceivably return as soon as Wednesday. Of course, it could also take both players longer than that to return.
Let's preview the week ahead, with a focus on some key matchups the Sixers will have to account for regardless of whether or not Embiid and George are available:
vs. Los Angeles Clippers (Sunday, 6 p.m.)
Opponent to watch: Kris Dunn
In case you haven't heard, the Sixers still have some firepower in the backcourt. Reigning NBA Most Improved Player Award winner Tyrese Maxey finally has help in the form of rookie Jared McCain, who has posted seven consecutive 20-plus-point performances and cemented himself as the clear favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Particularly in a game which Embiid and George have already been ruled out for, handling the Sixers' dynamic backcourt will be the Clippers' top defensive priority.
Enter Dunn, one of the very best guard defenders in the world whose tenacity has earned him an elevation into Clippers head coach Ty Lue's starting five:
If the Clippers can limit Maxey and McCain's scoring, the Sixers may not have any path whatsoever to scoring enough points to win the game. And with Lue devoting plenty of guard minutes to old friend James Harden — not one to get many stops against opposing guards — it will be critical that he gets the best out of Dunn.
MORE: McCain, Maxey partnership blossoming
vs. Houston Rockets (Wednesday, 7 p.m.)
Opponents to watch: Amen Thompson and Tari Eason
Thompson and Eason come off Houston's bench each night and destroy everything in their path. Nicknamed the "Terror Twins," the second- and third-year youngsters have absurd defensive gifts which Rockets head coach Ime Udoka is very much putting to use.
As of this writing, Thompson is averaging 2.0 steals and 1.6 blocks per 100 possessions on the season. That is extremely impressive — and then you look at Eason's numbers: 4.5 steals and 2.2 blocks per 100 possessions! Eason has a compelling case as the most impactful per-possession defender in the entire NBA so far in 2024-25.
On offense, Thompson is mostly a non-shooter, but does draw fouls at a good rate and is an excellent offensive rebounder. He is used in a unique fashion, often screening and rolling to the rim despite only being listed at 6-foot-7 and 209 pounds. Eason is also terrific crashing the glass, but is a competent three-point shooter. Meanwhile, he has dominated inside the arc early on this year, shooting an absurd 61.5 percent on two-point attempts.
Thompson and Eason have been one of the most enjoyable duos to watch in the NBA this season. Let's see what they can do in Philadelphia.
@ Detroit Pistons (Saturday, 7 p.m.)
Opponent to watch: Tobias Harris
There is no other choice here. Harris struggled mightily in his first four games, averaging only 10 points in 34.7 minutes, shooting 34.1 percent from the field and 17.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Then, Harris came to Philly. He posted 18 points and 14 rebounds in the face of thousands of Sixers fans booing him on every touch, leading the Pistons to a 10-point upset victory.
Since that night, Harris has been a different player for Detroit. In a dozen games since, Harris has averaged 15.3 points and 7.2 rebounds, while knocking down 49 percent of his shot attempts and connecting on 40 percent of his three-point tries.
Despite the animosity sent in Harris' direction, he expresses gratitude for his Sixers tenure, which lasted nearly six years.
"Not many people know this, but as a player and as a person in this generation, when I was a kid, I used to play AAU. If something didn't work, I would jump to the next team, things of that nature. Find a way to move out," Harris said. "It was the first thing in my life that I saw through, the five years being here. And I do think there is tremendous growth in that, and in weathering the storm and finding ways to come through and out of it in some type of fashion, and really battle through it."
"It was an experience I wouldn't change. Obviously, it didn't work out the way that I personally wanted it to work out, or that the organization wanted it to work out, because we didn't reach our goal of a championship. But the experiences and lessons along the way are ones I would never change for anything."
MORE: Harris, Paul Reed reflect on Sixers tenures
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