The Philadelphia 76ers opened the 2026-27 season with a clean 106-100 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, and the first night offered plenty to like. They rolled out a brand-new starting group and still handled a top-five team that had just won the title.
But one game rarely tells the whole story in the NBA. What worked against New York may not be enough when the Cleveland Cavaliers come to town for the Sixers’ home opener, and that’s where Nick Nurse may have to tweak his approach.
The biggest adjustment could come at center.
Against the Knicks, Philadelphia barely touched its frontcourt depth. Joel Embiid logged 33 minutes, Adem Bona played 10, and Jabari Walker saw three. That was about it, with LeBron James also filling in as the de facto center for stretches.
Some of that was forced by injuries to Dean Wade and Dominick Barlow, both of whom project to play meaningful minutes for Philly when healthy. But the matchup also helped the Sixers keep things small, because New York never really made them pay for it.
Karl-Anthony Towns spent much of the second half away from the basket, while Andre Drummond did some work inside without doing enough to change Philadelphia’s plan. Cleveland is built differently.
The Cavaliers bring real size up front with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the starting lineup, plus Thomas Bryant off the bench. They also added Peyton Watson over the offseason, and he does most of his damage around the rim. Last season, Cleveland finished in the top 10 in points in the paint and ranked 11th in rebounding.
That means Nurse may need to lean more on Bona or Walker. Bona’s size could help match Cleveland’s length, while Walker’s ability to space the floor could pull defenders out of the paint and open up the offense around him.
It would also be a valuable test for both players as the Sixers continue sorting out their backup center situation for the long haul. Strong showings could boost confidence in the current setup, while quieter nights like the opener could push the front office to look harder for reinforcements.
The lesson from game one is simple: every opponent asks for something different. Philadelphia didn’t need much frontcourt help against New York. Against Cleveland, it just might.
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