August 05, 2019
The Sixers announced their full preseason schedule on Monday afternoon, and it includes a meeting with the Orlando Magic, who may or may not feature former Philadelphia guard Markelle Fultz.
Here's the full list of games the Sixers will play before the regular season, along with start times and broadcast availability:
10/08: vs. Guangzhou Loong-Lions (CBA) — 7:00 PM start time, NBC Sports Philadelphia
10/11: @ Charlotte Hornets — 7:30 PM
10/13: @ Orlando Magic — 6:00 PM
10/15: vs. Detroit Pistons — 7:00 PM, NBC Sports Philadelphia
10/18: vs. Washington Wizards — 7:00 PM, NBC Sports Philadelphia
It is worth noting that both away games are not currently expected to be broadcast locally, with NBC apparently opting not to send the full crew on the road before the season gets going.
While that means you might be only be able to (legally) watch three of the five games, in the past they have proven willing to find workarounds if demand for the broadcast is sufficient enough. Dedicated fans will remember the jury-rigged broadcast feed they tapped into in Kansas City two years back, as the picture faded in and out of black screens with Joel Embiid torturing Hassaan Whiteside on both ends.
Outside of the potential meeting with Markelle Fultz — who it should be noted remains a total mystery and is certainly no guarantee to appear in that game — the only juice in these preseason meetings is a potential clash between Embiid and Andre Drummond. Most of the focus will (rightfully) be on the lineup combinations Brett Brown tinkers with before the opener, and what the offense looks like for a team that has undergone a massive shift in the offseason.
The stretch of games from 10/11—10/15, by the way, seems ripe for the Sixers to toy with their plan in the middle. It seems pretty unnecessary to run out either of Embiid or Al Horford for three games in five days, so I would expect you'll see plenty of Kyle O'Quinn alongside a fleet of reserves.
Unfortunately, we are still about two months away from any meaningful basketball, but at least the Eagles are here to provide some entertainment in the meantime.
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