Predicting if Sixers can advance out of group play in upcoming NBA Cup
The Sixers are placed in Group B alongside the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Brooklyn Nets. With the NBA Cup schedule now released, now is the time to give an early prediction game-by-game and see if there's a path for Philadelphia to advance and get to Vegas for the semis and championship game.
Here is a game-by-game NBA Cup schedule prediction for the Sixers:
October 31: vs. Celtics
This is an opportunity for Philadelphia to get off on the right foot. The Sixers will be at home, there is hope they will have their stars, and the Celtics will be a much different looking group when considering Jayson Tatum is out for the season and they had to make a lot of changes. Yes, the Cs will still have Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, and new addition Anfernee Simons will make a difference, but the Sixers should win this game if their guys are back.
Prediction: Sixers win
November 14: @ Pistons
This one will be a real challenge. The Pistons are no longer a pushover as rising star Cade Cunningham leads them, with the return of Jaden Ivey from injury, and key veteran Tobias Harris. The Pistons will be tough and the Sixers will need to hope Joel Embiid will be healthy for this one to combat the size of Jalen Duren in the post for Detroit. This one will be a toss up as the Sixers deal with a road challenge:
Prediction: Sixers win
November 25: vs. Magic
Even if the Sixers are healthy, this will be a challenging one for Philadelphia. The Magic feature a lot of size with Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., Jonathan Isaac, and players of that ilk. Orlando has a new scoring guard it can turn to in the form of Desmond Bane so the Magic will likely take this one.
Prediction: Magic win
November 28: @ Nets
The Nets are another group that will be looking brand new. They lost D'Angelo Russell in free agency and acquired Michael Porter Jr. in a deal with the Denver Nuggets while also adding a slew of rookies led by lottery pick Egor Demin. The Sixers dropped a couple of games to the Nets in the 2024-25 season, but Philadelphia should pick up another win here and advance to the knockout rounds. As a reminder, they can advance either as the winner of the group or through a wild card spot.
Prediction: Sixers win
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Predicting if Sixers can advance out of group play in upcoming NBA Cup
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