Philadelphia 76ers Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for January 2015
The Philadelphia 76ers start the NBA's new year off with a hectic January schedule that sees them playing 18 games in 31 days.
The Sixers lived up to being the worst team in the league by ending 2014 off with a 4-26 record. They also were last in point differential, losing each game by an average of 12.3 points per game.
One of the more surprising aspects to Philly's first stretch of games is the fact that the team has yet to win a game at home. Having the youngest squad in the NBA would normally lead to a unit that is more comfortable playing where it's from, but that hasn't been the case thus far. Philadelphia has won each of its games on the road and looks to play much looser when it does so.
Will we see the Sixers produce a better product in front of their hometown fans in 2015?
Here's a breakdown of their January schedule and predictions of how they'll end up doing.
All statistics in this article are accurate as of games played through Dec. 31.
Week 1: January 1 to January 4
1 of 6
January 2 vs. Phoenix Suns (Away)
January 3 vs. Los Angeles Clippers (Away)
*Important Game: Phoenix Suns
The Sixers aren't starting January off with any cupcakes, as they take on two teams with a combined record of 39-26. Both games being on the road isn't in their favor, regardless of if that's the only place they've won.
Neither contest looks promising from a positional perspective, either.
Both the Clippers and Suns are equipped with great point guard play. Eric Bledsoe runs the show in Phoenix and is its second-leading scorer at 16.2 points per game. The matchup between Bledsoe and Michael Carter-Williams will be particularly interesting because of the height mismatch. Carter-Williams' 6'6" frame will surely have a tough time guarding the exceptionally quick 6'1" point guard across from him. The other problem is that Philly's 1-guard can't shoot, whereas Bledsoe can light it up from anywhere on the floor.
Phoenix's supporting cast is about as balanced as they come, as four other players are averaging double figures. The Sixers are in the opposite boat, as only three people, including Carter-Williams, are scoring more than 10 points per game.
Los Angeles has one of the league's best players in Chris Paul handling the rock, and that's rarely good for any opposing team. Paul will find the right man on nearly every possession and fail to make mistakes in the progress. Combine great guard play with an All-Star caliber frontcourt, and the Clippers become even more difficult to play against.
Philly will be starting the first week of January off with two losses, but it's not like people expect them to do any different.
Predicted Record: 0-2
Week 2: January 5 to January 11
2 of 6
January 5 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Home)
January 7 vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Home)
January 9 vs. Brooklyn Nets (Away)
January 10 vs. Indiana Pacers (Home)
*Important Game: Cleveland Cavaliers
The second week looks much more manageable and has the potential to produce a good game or two.
Cleveland doesn't look like one of the top teams in the NBA. It might be weird to read—and it's weird to type—when the Cavs have a player named LeBron James, but their 18-13 record prove they have a lot to work on.
In the end, though, this one could end up being a lot closer than people think.
According to HoopStats.com, Cleveland has the No. 27-ranked bench in terms of scoring, as it only averages 25.5 points. Compare that with Philadelphia, which is at No. 7 and puts in 37.2 per game, and it's easy to see why the second units could end up being so important.
After Cleveland, the Sixers are a combined 0-4 against the other three teams being played this week.
The game against Milwaukee will be another one to keep an eye on because it's a team in a rebuilding stage having success. The Bucks have the same average age of 24 years old, but their pieces are much more set than Philadelphia's.
Philly doesn't have Dario Saric from Turkey yet, and Joel Embiid could miss the entire season from injury. It will be interesting to see how the Sixers play against a team so similar to them.
The Nets and Pacers could end up being a bit boring based off their styles of play. Neither team pushes the pace too much, as Brooklyn is older and Indiana keeps its focus on defense. Both could end up being lower scoring games because of this, and Philadelphia will likely lose both because of its troubles to score the basketball.
Cleveland and Milwaukee will definitely be the ones to watch during the second week. Make sure to pay attention to the bench play in both games, as it could determine the outcome.
Predicted Record: 0-4
Week 3: January 12 to 18
3 of 6
January 13 vs. Atlanta Hawks (Home)
January 14 vs. Toronto Raptors (Away)
January 16 vs. New Orleans Pelicans (Home)
January 17 vs. Detroit Pistons (Away)
*Important Game: New Orleans Pelicans
The third week is easily the most difficult since Philadelphia plays four games in five days. The worst part about it all is how it alternates home and away. This is particularly tough because the Sixers will be competing in a game one night, boarding a plane that same night and competing in a contest the next day.
On top of that, the schedule is particularly difficult based strictly off of who Philly plays.
Beginning the four-game stretch off with Atlanta and Toronto is a bit overwhelming. They currently have the two best records in the Eastern Conference, and each has only lost eight games. These numbers will surely change when the middle of January rolls around, but their spots in the standings will likely remain the same.
Potential blowouts are never good, but they'll lead up to the important game against New Orleans and former Sixer Jrue Holiday.
Philadelphia traded Holiday to the Pelicans for the No. 6 pick in the 2013 draft—which Philadelphia used to select Nerlens Noel—and a 2014 first-round selection. The jury is still out as to who got the better end of the deal, but neither organization has forgotten about it.
Having Holiday back in Philly is bittersweet. His last year with the Sixers saw him make the All-Star team for the first time, and he looked to be the clear point guard of the future. The surprise trade then sent him to New Orleans and prompted Philadelphia to take future Rookie of the Year Carter-Williams at pick No. 11.
The best part about another Holiday return is that it'll be accompanied with MVP candidate Anthony Davis, who is arguably playing better than anybody in the NBA. His 24.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 1.6 steals per game have been more than fun to watch. Watching Noel attempt to guard Davis could be a disaster but should still provide a good amount of entertainment.
The bad news about playing the Pelicans is that it'll most likely end in a loss; however, the good news is that it will be quickly followed by a win against Detroit the next night. The Pistons have an excellent frontcourt with Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond but just aren't a good team.
Philadelphia has played better on the road all season and will find a way to end the week and get out of Detroit with its fifth win of the season.
Predicted Record: 1-3
Week 4: January 19 to January 25
4 of 6
January 19 vs. Washington Wizards (Away)
January 21 vs. New York Knicks (Home)
January 23 vs. Toronto Raptors (Home)
January 24 vs. Memphis Grizzlies (Away)
*Important Game: New York Knicks
We're going to see something out of the Sixers in the fourth week that we haven't seen all season.
Philadelphia is going to win a game it's supposed to win.
The first surprising part of that statement is how the Sixers will potentially be favored to win in any game this year. A report came out at the end of November stating that Philly was the underdog in every one of its remaining contests, but that will likely change when they play the New York Knicks, who have one more win than the Sixers. The other crazy part is that Philadelphia will end up coming through and getting a victory.
New York is currently tied for the NBA's longest losing streak at nine games. Carmelo Anthony's sore left knee has forced him to leave games early and may even miss time in the future if it worsens. The future is the month of January, and New York's season will be a lost cause at that point. Anthony's long-term health isn't worth a potential win that means nothing. Issues with his knee could be what puts the Sixers over the edge to get their first home win.
The other three games on this schedule will be incredibly difficult, as they have a total of 25 combined losses. Philadelphia has lost 26 by itself.
Washington and Toronto will most likely get out of hand. They're two of the deepest teams in the league, and each of them have point guards who could make the All-Star team in Kyle Lowry and John Wall. There's just way too much firepower for Philly to keep up with.
Memphis ended up winning by five points in overtime during the last time it played the Sixers. A near loss to one of the league's worst teams could have stuck with the Grizzlies and might lead to an extra effort from the Western Conference power.
The fourth week will only end with one win, but Philadelphia will take a step in the right direction by winning a game it is supposed to.
Predicted Record: 1-3
Week 5: January 26 to January 31
5 of 6
January 26 vs. New Orleans Pelicans (Away)
January 28 vs. Detroit Pistons (Home)
January 30 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Home)
January 31 vs. Atlanta Hawks (Away)
*Important Game: Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are in the exact same boat as Philadelphia.
Potential is the key word, as each organization has the majority of its pieces established within the franchise. The goal will now be to maintain and develop the younger talent. There's going to be a lot of struggles in the beginning, but they're all taking place in hopes of leading to a much brighter future.
Andrew Wiggins is leading the Rookie of the Year race among active players, and Zach LaVine has shown that he wasn't all hype. Combine those two with Ricky Rubio, and the Timberwolves could have one of the NBA's best young trios in two or three years if each turns into what they're capable of.
Expect a close game in this one with the potential to go either way.
It's actually possible for the Sixers to end the month with a 2-2 final week if they beat the Pistons at home. Philadelphia will have already gotten its win against Detroit earlier in the month, though, and should have a tougher time beating them again.
New Orleans and Atlanta will be new games with the same outcome. Two of Philadelphia's earlier losses in January should be to these two teams, and the final set of games will add two more defeats.
Playing against the Timberwolves will clearly be the game of the week. Minnesota and Philadelphia are two teams who haven't even hit the double-digit mark if you combine their wins. Youth will be on full display, and it'll be fun to see who ends up with the win.
Predicted Record: 1-3
New Year, Same Old Sixers
6 of 6
The Sixers might not have a great January, but they certainly won't go without a win by the end of the month.
There will likely be a high number of games that get out of control. Philadelphia plays some of the best teams in each conference, and a lot of the contests come off of little to no rest. Still, though, expect Philly to force a few close games against some of the lesser talented franchises.
We're going into the year 2015, but we still have the same Sixers squad.
Only winning three games would put Philly at seven wins and still puts the team in danger of having less victories by the end of the season than the Philadelphia Eagles, who ended at 10.
It would be a bit sad but would make for an amazing story.
A truly amazing story.
Final January Prediction: 3-15
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
