The Philadelphia 76ers kicked off the 2026-27 NBA season with an impressive 106-100 victory over the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. Considering they trotted out a brand-new starting lineup against a top five that just won the title, it was a very promising start to the year.
However, the blueprint to beat one team in the NBA isn't necessarily the same as the blueprint to beat another. So, the Sixers might have to make some adjustments if they want to pull out a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their home opener and move to 2-0 on the young season.
One major change that Sixers head coach Nick Nurse could be considering for the game against the Cavs volves their center strategy.
76ers might need to tap into frontcourt depth more against Cavaliers
Against the Knicks, the Sixers didn't really use their frontcourt depth at all. Joel Embiid played 33 minutes in the game, and behind him Adem Bona played 10 minutes and Jabari Walker played three minutes, and that was the extent of it. LeBron James also served as the de facto center for stretches of the game.
Now, part of that was due to injuries to key frontcourt contributors Dean Wade and Dominick Barlow. When those guys are available they both project to play meaningful minutes for Philly. But, part of it was also because the Knicks weren't making the Sixers pay in the paint for playing small.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns spent most of the second half hanging around the perimeter, as opposed to down low. Andre Drummond did some damage in the paint, but not enough to make the Sixers reconsider their strategy. It could be a different story against Cleveland, though.
The Cavs have some solid size in the frontcourt, headlined by starting duo Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. They also bring Thomas Bryant off of the bench and added over the offseason they added Peyton Watson, who does most of his damage close to the basket. As a team, the Cavs were in the top 10 in points in the paint last season and 11th in rebounding.
In order to combat Cleveland's paint prowess, Nurse is likely going to have to give more minutes to Bona, or Walker. Bona's sheer size could help to neutralize Cleveland's length, while Walker's newfound ability to space the floor could help pull Cavs defenders out of the paint and in turn open things up for the rest of the offense.
This would be a great test for Bona and/or Walker as Philly tries to determine its course at backup center for the long haul. A few strong performances could make the Sixers feel better about their situation, while some more quiet outings like the opener in this early going might push the front office to ramp up its search for more help.
Every game in the NBA is a different story. The Sixers didn't need to rely heavily on their frontcourt depth against New York in the first game, but they may need to tap into it more to get a similar outcome against Cleveland.
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