The Philadelphia 76ers will likely be one of the most-watched teams in the NBA this year, and the league is taking advantage of that. After trading for Jaylen Brown and signing LeBron James, the Sixers are expected to be very popular.
The league is leaning into that. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the 76ers will be taking part in opening night. They will play against the New York Knicks, which will be a rematch of the second round of the playoffs. Philly was eliminated in a sweep in that series.
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey dribbles the ball in a game against the Knicks. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
76ers to Take on Knicks on NBA Opening Night
This opening game will be taking place in Madison Square Garden, allowing the Knicks to raise their championship banner. However, there is a chance that New York won’t be favored in this game. The additions that the Sixers have made make them a top Eastern Conference contender.
Brown comes over for Boston after leading the Celtics to the second-best offense in the league. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. He shot 47.7 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc while being the number-one option for most of the year.
James is not at his peak, but he is still an effective player. With the Lakers, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. He shot 51.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from deep. James can still be a massive help on the offensive end of the court.
The 76ers will be trying to emulate the Knicks next season. New York just ended a long title drought, and now the Sixers are on that same chase. James playing on Opening Day is not a shock. It was just going to be a matter of who their opponent was going to be.
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid drives the ball in a game against the Knicks. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The Sixers Are Going to be a Popular Pick to Win the East
With the addition of the two stars, Philly is going to be a popular pick to win the Eastern Conference. They are the team that is widely considered to have had the best offseason because of the addition of Brown and James. However, they also added Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade off the bench.
Philly has maintained a level of flexibility, as well. If they want to make a move at the trade deadline, they have contracts that can be moved. The 76ers are going to be a team that a lot of fans watch to fail, as well. James has his fair share of haters around the NBA.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see the Sixers have over half of their games played on national TV. The NBA wants to grab as much of James’ final two seasons as possible. If these are his final two years, the NBA wants to capitalize on that viewership, as expected.
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