Over A Quarter Of The Sixers Schedule Is On National TV
The rest of the league has officially taken notice. The team with the second fewest wins in the Eastern Conference last year is going to be on television–the medium of the future–23 times this year.
We start the entire season off as the first televised game of the year against the Wizards, as people are going to want to see the magic right away. (That was an attempt at a subtle Wizards-make-magic-reference, muddled by the fact that there is an actual team in the NBA called the Magic, against whom the Sixers do NOT open the season.)
Let’s take a walk through some of the other highlights of the schedule.
(from reddit/u/bveezy)
NOVEMBER 15 @ Lakers / DECEMBER 7 vs. Lakers
The NBA is obviously trying to create this rivalry right off the tip between the Sixers and the Lakers. From Embiid encouraging Simmons to dunk on Lonzo because of his father’s hubris, to the fact that both teams have been collecting high lottery picks for the last handful of seasons, it seems that the young stars are aligning for a cross country rivalry.
DECEMBER 25 @ Knicks
Noon on Christmas?? Fuck. Yes. Open some presents, smack down some Christmas breakfast, then lounge on the floor in some footie pajamas with some nog watching the Sixers? It’s the dog days of summer but I’m over here dreaming of a White Christmas. That coupled with the fact that the Eagles play that night and it should be one of the most memorable holidays since the virgin birth of the Christ child himself.
JANUARY 11 vs. Boston in London, JANUARY 18 @ Boston
Two dudes who got traded for one another at the top of the draft, who will be inexorably linked at the start of their career, face off in London. And while the overseas audience might not be as engaged, the January 18 crowd in Boston definitely will, especially if the Philly has made any noise at that point.
MARCH 1 @ Cleveland
The courtship has clearly been going on this summer, like two birds circling each other, feathers fluffed in a mating dance. The schedule-makers are clearly considering one of two things; either the Sixers will be hitting their stride on their way to contention, thus setting up a LeBron-versus-Simmons, sensei-versus-student match up OR the Sixers will be setting themselves up for a formal affair this summer. I have convinced myself that it will be one of these two options and I will NOT be talked out of it.
MARCH 4 @ Milwaukee, APRIL 11 vs. Milwaukee
Nothing makes me hornier than a dual unicorn sighting. Seeing Giannis and Ben going coast-to-coast should be a nice cap to the season/potential playoff preview/taste of what the future of the NBA is going to be like, especially with the impending advent of other specimens of length and skill like Mike Porter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III.
I’m not ready to give a win total yet. I’m just making travel plans, because this season is gonna be a hell of a ride.
Some people are are saying the playoffs are going to be a long shot. My response?