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The Mavericks (1-5) will once again take the court as they play the 76ers (1-4) tonight in Dallas at the American Airlines Center.
The Mavs currently hold the worst record in the league along with the Atlanta Hawks and unfortunately the schedule doesn’t get much easier as they begin a brutal stretch in November. This could be their best chance for a while to bounce back for their second win of the season after losing to the Grizzlies on Thursday night (91-96).
Here are three things to watch tonight.
Ben Simmons is a beautiful basketball man.
He’s arguably the best rookie the NBA has seen in years and has not disappointed hopeful fans with his incredibly hot start to his career. Simmons is averaging 16.4 points, 10 rebounds and 7.4 assists so far, and he looks like he’s only just getting started.
It may be the Australian bias in me, but Simmons is one of those players that you love to watch, but always fear when he plays your team. If Simmons doesn’t live up to the hype tonight, the Mavs must still be weary of Joel Embiid. (Oh dear.)
Will Nerlens Noel rise to the occasion?
If there ever was a time for Nerlens to play his tail off, it’s tonight as he goes up against his former team. Noel only had seven games under his belt with the Mavs the last time he had a shot at the 76ers, so tonight he should have a better shot at revenge.
Noel may be the only athlete on this Mavs roster that has any hope of sticking with Joel Embiid and will have to stay out of foul trouble to get his minutes.
Which Wes are we going to get?
In the first three games Wesley Matthews averaged 8.6 points and 6.5 rebounds on 23 percent shooting (29.6 percent from three). Yeah - not great.
The last three games have been a completely different story for Wes as he’s averaged 14 points and 2.3 rebounds on 53.1 percent shooting (55.9 percent from three).
Wes can’t have these crazy fluctuations like he did last season if he is going to play the significant role the Mavs need him to play. With a very winnable game at hand against the 76ers, Wes must be the consistent player he’s been these past three games.
How to watch
You can catch the game on Fox Sports Southwest (or NBA League Pass outside of the Dallas area) starting at 7:30 pm Central. Follow along with us to catch all of our game coverage!