76ers vs. Cavaliers: Ben Simmons-Less Sixers Look to Finally Win on the Road
There hasn't been a team in the NBA that's more confusing than the Philadelphia 76ers. At this point, Brett Brown's goal of trying to contend for the Eastern Conference's first-seed is out of the question. And the highest seed the Sixers could probably pick up at this point is fourth place in the rankings.
Currently, the Sixers are sitting in fifth, a half of a game back from the Miami Heat. Moving up in the ranks is attainable for Philly, but in order to prove they genuinely belong at the top four spots of the conference, the Sixers have to start winning some games on the road.
At home, the Sixers are the best team in the NBA, with 27 wins to only two losses. On the road, however, they are 9-20. Currently, their road streak of losing games is set at six with a recent loss against Milwaukee this past Saturday.
On Wednesday, the Sixers will look to try and pick up their tenth win on the road this year against a struggling Cleveland Cavaliers team. Heading into Wednesday's game, the Cavaliers are stuck in 15th place within the Eastern Conference with a record of 16-41.
This season, the Sixers have played and defeated the Cavs three times already, with a 114-95 victory on the road back in November. Since then, a lot has changed for both squads, for better or for worse. Regardless of changes, though, the Sixers need to ensure they win every game they can before hitting another tough road trip.
Despite the significant difference in rankings between Philly and Cleveland, Wednesday's game won't be a sure thing for a struggling Sixers team. For starters, they are heading into their fourth matchup without Ben Simmons' services for the entire game. While that will be the case for weeks and potentially months from now, the Sixers are still trying to figure themselves out without their crucial All-Star in the mix.
As Brett Brown is practically running a try-out for Simmons' spot on the roster, the Sixers are going to have a lot of different rotations until they figure out what truly works. The good news is Cleveland is a team they should be able to defeat while testing out new things. If Philly cannot pick up the road win against the Cavs, though, then that will reveal a much-bigger issue heading into a West Coast field trip next week.