Sixers at Celtics
7:30 p.m. on CSN
Season 3 of the Sam Hinkie rebuild debuts tonight when the Sixers visit the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
With injuries and new faces, let’s get you prepared for the opener with five things you need to know:
1. Going big
Much has been made of how Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel will mesh and make things work in a crowded paint.
Okafor, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft, is an old-school, low-post big man, which will force the offensively-developing Noel to the four-spot and make him play farther from the basket.
The two showed flashes in the preseason, but played just four exhibition games together. The gelling and spacing may take time, which is OK. There are no signs of expediting the rebuild.
But one thing is sure and that is both are gifted frontcourt players. Okafor is a proficient passer for a player his size, while Noel uses guard-like skills handling the ball.
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The development should be a treat to watch.
“There’s a lot more open,” Noel said last week. “Jah is a smart player, and he knows I’m going to find him every time he’s open. There’s a lot more space because Jah definitely needs a lot more attention at the post.”
2. Sauce me
It looks like we may see Nik Stauskas right out of the chute.
The three-point marksman, acquired in a trade with the Kings on July 9, missed all of the preseason recovering from a stress reaction in his right tibia and was uncertain for the start of the regular season. However, his recovery kicked into high gear of late, and head coach Brett Brown told reporters Wednesday that he “believes” Stauskas will play.
If so, that’s exciting news for team officials. The Canadian sniper is the Sixers’ projected starter at shooting guard and should provide a much-needed lift from beyond the arc.
But don’t think just shooter. Stauskas, often perceived as that, worked hard expanding his game as a sophomore at Michigan and was limited as a rookie last season in a dysfunctional Kings organization.
The 6-foot-6 Stauskas may surprise you with his athleticism and ability in pick-and-roll spots.
He could even see some time running the point.
3. Making a point
Speaking of the point, this will be an area to watch for the Sixers.
With Tony Wroten (knee) and Kendall Marshall (knee) out indefinitely, the point-guard reins will be handed to Isaiah Canaan and T.J. McConnell.
Canaan, more of a score-first point guard, is a former second-round pick who's made 21 career starts and has averaged 7.7 points and 1.7 assists in 17.2 minutes.
McConnell is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and went undrafted last June. Before transferring to Arizona, the 23-year-old started his college career at Duquesne.
For now, the pair will be tasked with running the Sixers and spreading around the touches.
“We’ve been counted out in everything we’ve done, but we just prove people wrong,” McConnell said Monday. “We know what we need to do and if people don’t believe what we can do, that’s their problem.”
4. Injuries
Sixers: SF Robert Covington (knee), SF Carl Landry (wrist), C Joel Embiid (foot), PG Marshall (knee) and PG Wroten (knee) are all out; SG Stauskas (foot) is a game-time decision.
Celtics: PG Isaiah Thomas (knee) is expected to play; PF Kelly Olynyk is out serving a one-game suspension.
5. This and that
• The Sixers own a .621 winning percentage (41-25) in season openers, the fourth-best mark in NBA history.
• Landry is the only Sixer on the current roster born before 1990.
• The Celtics went 4-0 against the Sixers last season for the first time since 2008-09.
• The Sixers went 6-35 on the road last season.