January 22, 2024
Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama is averaging 19.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game entering Monday's contest against the Sixers.
Riding a five-game winning streak, the Sixers enter this week with three contests on the docket: a home matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, followed by road contests against the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets.
Here are five players worth keeping an eye on as the Sixers embark on this three-game set:
No surprise here. Wembanyama is averaging nearly 20 points per game to go with over 10 rebounds. He is in the midst of an impressive rookie season breakout: over his last 10 games, Wembanyama is averaging 24.1 points per game on solid efficiency. And, oh yeah, he is blocking 3.6 shots per game over that span as well.
Standing at 7-foot-4, Wembanyama's breakout has coincided with a move from power forward to center. His shot-blocking and rim protection abilities combined with his one-of-a-kind frame and obscene skill level make him one of the best young players in the NBA. Wembanyama turned 20 just over two weeks ago, and he is already putting up unprecedented stat-lines.
Haliburton has officially made the ultimate leap this season, going from budding star to bona fide superstar. He is averaging 23.6 points per game on remarkable efficiency while also leading the NBA in assists per game. He is a wizard on the basketball floor, a point guard with truly genius passing ability and a seemingly-unstoppable array of pull-up jump-shots.
He has captained one of best — if not the best — offenses in the NBA this season despite not having an overwhelmingly impressive core by his side.
Siakam may end up being the best player traded during the NBA season, as he was dealt last week from the Toronto Raptors to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks. With the Pacers looming as a very possible playoff opponent for the Sixers, it will be extremely interesting to see how Siakam meshes with Haliburton and the rest of Indiana's team, a squad which boasts one of the best offenses in the NBA this season.
Tobias Harris has gotten the better of Siakam in prior matchups this season, despite Siakam's many physical advantages over the Sixers wing — height, length and athleticism, for example. With Nic Batum likely to take the Haliburton assignment, one would expect for another rendition of Siakam vs. Harris this week.
Despite Indiana's impressive record and win-now mentality, Hield is reportedly very much available in trade talks right now. With an expiring contract and elite three-point shot, he could be a perfect fit for the Sixers. A long-rumored and -hypothesized Sixers target, Hield is truly one of the game's most prolific shooters — not just right now, but in a historical sense. He is above 40 percent from beyond the arc for his career on massive volume — 7.7 three-point tries per game.
Any Hield deal would likely include Marcus Morris Sr. for salary reasons. Outside of that, the Sixers have to hope the Pacers have interest in their draft picks as well as Jaden Springer and / or KJ Martin.
An ideal world is one in which the Sixers can acquire Hield without giving up any key rotation pieces. But if it came to it, would the Sixers be willing to move De'Anthony Melton — also on an expiring deal — to get a deal done? Indiana could want a defensive-minded guard like Melton next to Haliburton.
There is not much left that has not already been said about Jokic, the two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP. However, Joel Embiid got the better of him in emphatic fashion last Tuesday, when Embiid lit up Jokic and the Nuggets for 41 points and 10 assists.
These two titanic big-men will forever be linked to one of another, regardless of their own individual accomplishments. They have been top two in MVP voting in each of the last three seasons, and could very well be headed towards a fourth straight campaign as the two leaders in the clubhouse.
The Sixers went to an unorthodox coverage on Tuesday and spent most of the game with Harris defending Jokic and leveraging his lower body strength, while Embiid defended Aaron Gordon and roamed around the floor helping on drives and post-ups. Jokic got his, of course, but this decision was largely successful for Sixers head coach Nick Nurse. It will be interesting to see how Nuggets head coach Michael Malone counters this time around.
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