The Philadelphia 76ers, struggling at 1-4, are headed West to take on the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. They may be able to add Paul George into the mix for the first time this season, but this will still be a huge challenge for the Sixers.
The Philadelphia 76ers are headed out for an early-season West Coast trip, with their first stop coming on Monday night visiting the Phoenix Suns.
The headline for the 1-4 Sixers coming into this one is that Paul George is reportedly expected to make his season debut for the contest after he was upgraded to questionable by the team. While Joel Embiid remains out, getting George into the mix could provide a huge boost to the Sixers who are currently putting the weight of the entire team practically on the back of Tyrese Maxey, who is playing a league-high 41.0 minutes per game to start the season and could use a lot of help trying to keep this team afloat.
The Suns have the opposite trajectory, off to a hot 5-1 start in 2024-25. They are led by 14-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant and four-time All-Star Devin Booker, who are both averaging over 25 points per game to start this campaign. The duo are supported by three-time All-Star Bradley Beal, meaning the Sixers are going to have their hands full trying to cover three demanding defensive assignments right from the tip-off. The Suns are also sitting sixth in the league in both three-point shooting percentage at 38.2% and in triples made per game with 15.3.
To make matters even worse for the Sixers, the Suns have a good defensive track record so far this season, sixth in the league in defensive rating (107.9), second in blocks per game (6.7) and second in defensive rebounds per game (37.5).
That last one is particularly concerning when it comes to the the Sixers. Philadelphia had a multitude of issues in their miserable loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, but a glaring one was rebounding. The Grizzlies outrebounded the Sixers 52-33, and Philadelphia now sits second-to-last in the league for rebounds per game (40.2). Sure, rebounds will be harder to come by when missing a seven-foot star center, but they are going to have to find a way to mitigate the issue. Practically handing the ball to opposing teams after every missed bucket on both sides of the floor can see things get ugly quick. Playing against a team as hot as the Suns (pun not intended), this one has the potential to get out of hand fast if the Sixers can’t find a way to be better on the glass.
The Sixers tip-off against the Suns tonight at 10:15 p.m. ET.
Game Details
Who: Philadelphia 76ers at Phoenix Suns
When: 10:15 p.m. ET
Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers