2. Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers, January 11th
Joel Embiid aka the “Walking GOAT” will probably marvel at the opportunity to compete against Collins. However, unlike most, Collins will not back down from Embiid who seems to be living his best life this offseason.
After the departure of King James, the Eastern Conference is up for grabs. Although the East is wide-open, a playoff run may not be in the near future for the Hawks. But this matchup is significant for the young Atlanta team who is entering the second year of their rebuild phase.
In order to grow as a team, the Hawks need to take this matchup seriously. These two teams will meet multiple times this season. A key matchup to watch out for is the battle of the benches. An Achilles’ heel for the 76ers last season was their lack of offense off the bench.
Atlanta may have a slight edge on the Sixers bench on paper. Atlanta’s notable bench players currently consist of Young, Huerter, Spellman DeAndre’ Bembry, Alex Len and Justin Anderson. Yes, Anderson is one player to look out for considering his connection to coach Pierce.
Philadelphia’s notable bench players include T.J. McConnell, Markelle Fultz, Wilson Chandler and Amir Johnson. This matchup will help test the Hawks and push them to new heights. Atlanta will be able to match up with Philadelphia’s starting lineup.
In today’s league matchups are pivotal, although they do not always result in wins. The mystery of Fultz’s health and the lack of consistency of Robert Covington‘s play gives the Hawks a chance to win some games in this season series.