Live Thread: Cavs @ Sixers

This game would likely be far more entertaining if Iverson were still bouncing around the court. At the start of last season, the Sixers featured the freakishly captivating duo of KJ McDaniels and Tony Wroten. This season NBA fans are forced to convince themselves that Jahlil Okafor’s post game and Nerlens Noel’s defense are worth the price of admission. The rookie big man out of Duke did have a relatively impressive showing in his debut. Okafor dropped 26 points on Kevin Love’s friends in Boston, though he struggled in every other facet of the game. Noel looks poised to have a mini-breakout season, but his skill-set is largely wasted on a team that lacks so much talent. Jerami Grant has played well against the Cavaliers both as a rookie and in preseason. He has developing range, but needs to become more assertive for Philly coach Brett Brown.

The Cavaliers will try to continue their defensive mastery against a terrible offense. The Cavs have suffocated opponents thus far allowing only 90.3 points per 100 possessions. The second unit of Delly, JR, RJ, TT, and Andy has been particularly active in their defensive rotations and are killing the glass. The Cavs’ Space Stars should absolutely dominate a Sixer bench that employs little NBA talent. The 76ers brass hopes Nik Stauskas can add some scoring pop to an otherwise sad group.

I look for the Cavaliers to have good discipline in their sets and concentration on defense for the first 18 minutes. After that, I wouldn’t get too upset if they lose focus. Prediction: Cavs 110-85.