The NBA is wasting no time putting the 76ers and Knicks in the spotlight.
After Tuesday’s Opening Night reveal and Wednesday’s NBA Cup announcement, Philadelphia learned it will see the NBA Champions twice in less than two weeks to start next season. The first meeting comes in New York on October 20, and the rematch lands in Philadelphia on October 30.
That setup makes for a loud start. Sixers-Knicks already carries the kind of edge fans expect from an East Coast rivalry, and the added scene of the Knicks raising their banner at Madison Square Garden only cranks up the buzz around the opener.
But there’s a catch here, and it matters for how these games are read. An October matchup can look big on paper and still tell you very little about where a team is headed.
That’s the reality when a schedule is front-loaded with a contender like New York. It’s hard to treat an early-season meeting as a true measuring stick.
The Sixers and Knicks won’t see each other again after those two October games until two more matchups later in the season, leaving the possibility of a playoff showdown still out there. That makes the timing of the remaining games important, because their value changes depending on when they arrive.
Last season, the teams didn’t meet until December 19, then played again on January 3, January 24 and February 11. By then, both sides had a much better sense of what they were and what they might look like once the postseason picture came into focus.
That’s the rhythm plenty of players and coaches talk about every year: the season doesn’t really feel real until Christmas, when the early chaos settles and teams start revealing their true identity. Even then, some contenders still shift before the trade deadline and again around the buyout market.
So while the Sixers will get two early shots at the Knicks, the final two games on the schedule may wind up meaning more if they come closer to spring. Those are the ones that could actually offer a clearer read before a potential postseason run.
For now, though, the main takeaway is simple: two October games are fun, but they’re too early to turn into a full verdict.
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