Philadelphia 76ers Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for February
The Philadelphia 76ers enter the month of February with one of the NBA's worst records. Their upcoming schedule should lead to even more losses.
The majority of teams wouldn't want a 10-38 record as they near the February 19 trade deadline, but the Sixers aren't like other organizations. Philadelphia has managed to turn what's generally a dry rebuilding process into something that's tough to not watch.
There's a feeling of wonder surrounding the Sixers and where they will go from here. It's clear that the roster is loaded with young talent full of potential. The brief flashes of excellence seem to fully make up for most of the shortcomings in terms of wins and losses.
To put it bluntly: Losing has never been this much fun.
It hasn't come without its dangers, though.
Being on the wrong end of the scoreboard on a consistent basis has a way of building a loser's mentality. Each loss builds and tends to demoralize even more. The hope of something special coming from so many brutal defeats is a unique concept.
It's also one that is beginning to run its course.
The Sixers have lost a significant number of games over the past two years, and patience is running thin. It's about time to see the tanking strategy pay off.
Each month of the 2014-15 season has ended in a series of awful records. The month of February will likely be no different.
Here's a look at Philadelphia's schedule breakdown, along with record predictions for the month.
Week 1: February 2 to February 8
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February 2 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Away)
February 3 vs. Denver Nuggets (Home)
February 6 vs. Boston Celtics (Away)
February 7 vs. Charlotte Hornets (Home)
*Important Game: Boston Celtics
Philadelphia opens February with the surging Cavaliers, who have won their last 10 games after beginning the season with a 19-20 record.
It's not exactly a great game to start the month.
Cleveland wins the matchup battle at nearly every position. It's highlighted by the trio of Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Kevin Love. There's a stark difference when comparing those three to the Sixers lining up across from them: Michael Carter-Williams, Robert Covington and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.
Philly's only chance to pull out an upset will come from its bench. Still, though, the recent emergence of Jerami Grant and the rest of the supporting cast will likely not be enough to take down one of the NBA's hottest teams.
Denver and Boston are similar in terms of playing styles as they both score the ball well without doing much on the defensive end. Neither squad is in a good place as an organization, though, and the Sixers have a solid chance at stealing a win against one of them.
The Celtics would be the likeliest victim in this situation.
Boston is a fellow member of the Atlantic Division, and the Celtics and Sixers have had their fair share of battles in the past. Two struggling rivals could even lead to a fun game that could end either way.
Ending the week off with the Hornets will end up being harder than it sounds.
Charlotte's 20-27 record doesn't do enough to justify its greatest strength. A No. 6-ranked scoring defense should be more than enough to hurt the Sixers' already brutal last-place offense. Philadelphia is the only team in the NBA that doesn't average at least 90 points per game. Great defense matched against a squad who can't score the basketball usually leads to even less offense.
This falls right into the Hornets' hands.
There's nothing new here. February will start in a relatively rough way for Philadelphia. Don't expect any more than one win in these first four games.
Predicted Record: 1-3
Week 2: February 9 to February 15
2 of 5
February 9 vs. Golden State Warriors (Home)
Do you think it's possible for Klay Thompson to score 38 points in one quarter against the Sixers?
The Warriors boast the NBA's second-best record, and there's no telling as to the kind of beating they'll put on Philadelphia.
Golden State has one of the league's deepest teams, as they have five players who average at least 10 points per game. It's especially impressive when you consider that Stephen Curry puts up 23.0 and Thompson scores 22.7 per contest.
Compare those numbers to the Sixers, who only have three men averaging double figures, and the Warriors' level of offensive depth becomes abundantly clear.
There's nearly no chance of Thompson breaking his own record, but Golden State could end up scoring a scary number of points against Philly.
It wouldn't be a good way to go into the All-Star break.
Predicted Record: 0-1
Week 3: February 16 to February 22
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February 20 vs. Indiana Pacers (Home)
February 22 vs. Orlando Magic (Away)
*Important Game: Orlando Magic
Ending the All-Star break with a game against the Pacers couldn't be less exciting.
Indiana's 17-32 record is proof of how much Paul George means to that organization. He might be out for the entire season, but his absence won't stop the Pacers from beating Philadelphia.
Philly's youth will be on full display after the long absence, as it will be the team's first game in 11 days.
Let's just call it a way for the Sixers to warm up for the most important game of the week.
The Magic vs. Sixers is beginning to turn into must-see television. There seems to be consistent excitement surrounding each game, and the performances have ended up being special.
The rivalry began last year when both Carter-Williams and Victor Oladipo tallied triple-doubles against each other. It was the first time that two rookies hit such a mark in the same game. It carried over to this season after Tobias Harris hit a buzzer-beater to give the Magic their first win of the campaign.
Be on the lookout for some kind of impressive performance out of a member of the Sixers in this one. Don't be surprised if it ends up being Covington, as he has the skill set to take over a game if his shot gets hot.
Week 3 will provide Philadelphia with its best record in February. It's also possible that the most exciting game of the month will occur against Orlando.
And the Sixers have a good shot at winning it.
Predicted Record: 1-1
Week 4: February 23 to February 28
4 of 5
February 23 vs. Miami Heat (Away)
February 25 vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Home)
February 27 vs. Washington Wizards (Home)
*Important Game: Miami Heat
The Sixers will end February with three games in six days, and each of them is against a team that is currently slated to make the playoffs.
Opening Week 4 with Miami offers a contest with an intriguing matchup: the battle between Hassan Whiteside and Nerlens Noel.
Whiteside has averaged 16.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in his last four games. These video game-like numbers are coming from a man who wasn't even on an opening season roster.
It should be a joy to watch the Heat's young star play against one of Philadelphia's in Noel. The former University of Kentucky product isn't making people do double-takes when they look at a box score, but his statistics are beginning to speak for themselves. Noel leads all rookies in rebounds, blocks and steals. He's also showing his versatility by being in the top 10 in scoring and assists as well.
There's a good chance the Sixers lose, but the battle between Whiteside and Noel could be much more entertaining than the game will ever get.
Looking ahead to Milwaukee and Washington isn't nearly as fun, as neither games offer the kind of excitement that Miami vs. Philly does.
The Bucks have managed to carve out a winning record despite Jabari Parker going down with a season-ending torn ACL earlier in the season. The biggest reason for Milwaukee's continued success falls squarely on its No. 5 ranked defense.
Washington is a bit different as it could be looked at as the Eastern Conference's Golden State Warriors. John Wall and Bradley Beal offer a ridiculous one-two punch in the backcourt. Combine them with the veteran Paul Pierce and a group of experienced big men, and it's clear how many weapons they have.
Both games will challenge the Sixers in different ways, as neither falls into Philly's limited category of strengths.
Losing all three contests in the last week of February will only help get Philadelphia closer to a great draft pick.
It's both true and a good way to turn a negative situation into a positive one.
Predicted Record: 0-3
We're Almost There
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February is the second-to-last full month of the NBA season and a real turning point in the year.
The trade deadline will come and go, solidifying each organization's direction and short-term future. Who will make the blockbuster deal to bring in the final piece of the puzzle? Who will shock the league and trade away one of its building blocks? Who will stockpile draft picks in hopes of finding the next big thing?
We'll get a number of these answers as February goes by, and it has to be one of the regular season's more exciting months.
The Sixers aren't going to find success in many of these games. The majority of them will show fans just how far from greatness Philadelphia is.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
Focusing on what's to come has been Philly's goal from the beginning. Staying on track with a below-average month is exactly what will need to happen in order to stay on pace with the team's original plan.
Doing so will get the Sixers one step closer to what's hopefully the last draft built off a tanking season.
We're almost there.
Final February Prediction: 2-8
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