76ers vs. Cavaliers: Ben Simmons-Less Sixers Look to Finally Win on the Road

The 76ers are set to face the Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Can a Ben Simmons-less Sixers team snap their losing streak away from home?
76ers vs. Cavaliers: Ben Simmons-Less Sixers Look to Finally Win on the Road
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.


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA