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Do you remember that feeling of impending doom when you were younger? It's that feeling you got waiting for a parent after you broke something or a teacher if they caught you slipping notes in class. There is going to be some repercussion and there is absolutely nothing you could do to change that.
Well, you are the Philadelphia 76ers and Anthony Davis is the harbinger of the end of days.
After spending a few years developing and growing, Davis went from being just the face of the New Orleans Pelicans franchise to potential face of the NBA. Speaking as a guy who used to own him in multiple fantasy basketball leagues, he FILLED the stat sheet (and carried my teams to the playoffs). Furthermore, watching him play is a delight. The size, athleticism, and talent put him at the top of the list of guys you'd want to build a franchise around. As we seem to be reaching the tail end of the LeBron era, it's no surprise that many feel as though the the Davis/Unibrow era is soon to begin.
The Pellies have attempted to build around Davis to varying success. Tyreke Evans has been... sometimes fun, mostly inefficient Tyreke Evans. I never know when Eric Gordon is healthy or injured anymore. Ryan Anderson is and has been the prototypical stretch 4, who will probably have a monster game tonight because 3 pointers. Omer Asik is still a thing in 2015 (I actually like his game, don't mind me).
Former Sixer and "Jruth" that many of us "could not handle", Jrue Holiday has been a steady force in the line up. While his draft day trade may have been the start to the Sixers rebuild efforts, it was just another step in building around Davis.
There were many discussion pre-Hinkie about what Jrue Holiday could be if he had an actual front court to work with (much like how today we wonder if Michael Carter-Williams had shooters/talent). Alas, Kwame Brown and Spencer Hawes, the "Tin Towers", were not that answer when he was in Philly. Thankfully, I think he may found that answer with the likes of Davis, Asik and Anderson.
At the moment, the Pelicans are 19-19,the 9th seed in the West, at 2.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns for the 8th playoff spot. Whether or not they survive the Western Conference battlefield is a story worth watching for us Sixers fans who may want someone to root for come post-All Star break.
Of course, after doing a quick check on roster updates and line ups, it appears as though Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday may be sitting out due to their respective injuries. So, at least for one night, the Sixers get a reprieve. They also may have a chance at banking another win, especially coming off 2 rough losses and looking noticeably different without their only two offensive weapons in Tony Wroten and Robert Covington.
Due to the late start, this preview will also serve as the game thread. Let's get weird.
| 2014-2015 NBA REGULAR SEASON | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
@ |  |
| January 16, 2014 | ||
| Wells Fargo Center | ||
| 7:00PM | ||
| CSN Philly. 3M's - Marc Zumoff, Malik Rose, and Molly Sullivan | ||
| PROBABLE STARTERS | ||
| Tyreke Evans | PG | Michael Carter-Williams |
| Eric Gordon | SG | K.J. McDaniels |
| Dante Cunningham | SF | Luc Mbah a Moute |
| Ryan Anderson | PF | Nerlens Noel |
| Omer Asik | C | Henry Sims |
| 2014/15 NUMBERS OF NOTE | ||
| 5.7: Sixers Blocks Per Game | ||
| 2.9: Anthony Davis' Blocks Per Game | ||
| 29.8: Sixers 3pt FG %, The Worst in the NBA | ||
| TONIGHT'S OFFICIALS | ||
| Zach Zarba | ||
| Lauren Holtkamp | ||
| Leroy Richardson | ||