Sixers-Warriors Preview: Expect the Unexpected

I don't know what to think anymore.

The post-trade deadline portion of the Philadelphia 76ers' 2016-17 campaign was supposed to be an unbearable slog as the team marched toward the 2017 NBA Draft. So, of course, the Sixers withstand a combined 69-point effort by Bradley Beal and John Wall to take out the Washington Wizards 120-112 on Friday. And, right on cue, that same 76ers team traveled to New York on Saturday and - save for an 11-footer with 0.3 seconds left by Carmelo Anthony - nearly won its second game in as many nights.

So I have no idea what to expect tonight as the Sixers face the Golden State Warriors at the Wells Fargo Center. Given that Brett Brown has never notched a victory over the Warriors as a head coach, a double-digit loss in a game that's essentially over by halftime feels like it would be a reasonable assumption.

Then again, the Sixers nearly pulled off a monumental upset the last time the Warriors made the trip to Philadelphia. But Harrison Barnes is gone, and, for what it's worth, the 76ers are 9-2 in their last 11 games in the building they affectionately refer to as The Center.

So let's just leave all of the hypotheses aside for a few hours and enjoy the show. Can Future ROY winner Dario Saric (averaging 17/8/3 over his last 10 games) keep it up his torrid pace while facing Paul Pierce-hater Draymond Green? Will the Jahlil Okafor we saw Saturday - 28 points, 10 rebounds (six offensive) vs. NYK - roll out of bed and give Zaza Pachulia that work? And with Rock Covington presumably assigned to Kevin Durant, can Gerald Henderson and T.J. McConnell keep the Splash Brothers in check?

On a less important note, tonight will also be a measuring stick of sorts for the recently acquired Justin Anderson (who is still probably learning the names of his teammates as you read this). The 6-6 swingman appears to be in the Sixers' plans going forward - something that shouldn't be said for Sergio Rodriguez (who is drinking one of the last of the personalized smoothies he'll enjoy as a Sixer as you read this).

Sixers vs. Warriors - winner gets the rights to Andrew Bogut. Let's ball.