The NBA Cup will be a valuable measuring stick for the new-look Sixers

As part of its weeklong schedule release (sigh), the NBA announced the schedule for the group-play round of the Emirates NBA Cup on Wednesday.

We already knew that the Sixers were placed into a Group of Death with the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. Granted, that news quickly got buried by the Sixers trading for Jaylen Brown that same day and signing LeBron James on a veteran-minimum contract a few weeks later.

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Now that the dust has finally started to settle on the offseason, the NBA Cup now looks like a valuable early-season measuring stick for the new-look Sixers. Each opponent will provide a different challenge, but all four figure to be vying for playoff spots this year right alongside the Sixers.

Let’s briefly dive in to what each matchup could tell us about the Sixers early in the year.

Oct. 30 vs. New York Knicks

We found out Tuesday that the Sixers will tip off the season by taking on the reigning champion Knicks in New York on opening night. They’ll face them again 10 days later, except they’ll be back home in Philly for both teams’ NBA Cup opener.

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We’ll find out the Sixers’ full schedule Thursday, but in all likelihood, this will be their first chance to face the same opponent for the second time in the 2026-27 season. That means this will be their first chance to make playoff-style adjustments based on what happened in the season opener.

The Knicks’ fan takeover of the Wells Fargo Center in last year’s playoffs is also still a sore spot for the organization. Granted, with LeBron and Brown now in the fold, tickets might be almost as expensive in Philly this season as they are at Madison Square Garden. Still, this will likely be our first chance to see whether Knicks fans are able to pack the stands at the WFC as prominently as they have in past years.

The on-court matchups should be fascinating, too. The Knicks have two elite wing defenders in Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby who figure to draw the primary assignment on Brown and LeBron. Can Skinny Joel Embiid hang with Karl-Anthony Towns, particularly when he floats out to the perimeter? Will…

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Publish date : 2026-08-12 20:07:00

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