The Philadelphia 76ers are getting set to take on the Charlotte Hornets in their first home game of the season. Coming off an electric 117-116 victory over the Boston Celtics, the Sixers will look to feed off their success and kick their season off with a 2-0 record with a victory over the Hornets. 

That said, while Charlotte was the second-worst team in the league last season, they aren’t a team that can be written off. In their first game of the season against the Brooklyn Nets, not only did they walk away with a dominant 136-117 victory, but they did so thanks to a true team effort. 

The Hornets sported 10 players against the Nets, and nine of those players scored double-digits. Brandon Miller, now entering his third season in the NBA, led the team with 25 points and seven rebounds, with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges adding 20 and 18 points, respectively. 

With Paul George remaining out for the second game this season, the Sixers will have to maximize the depth they have to keep up with the balance of the Hornets’ roster. As they try to remain undefeated through their first two games, let’s take a look at their three keys to a victory over Charlotte. 

No. 1 - Get Joel Embiid Going

Though it was just one game and there’s no real cause for concern, Joel Embiid’s four points and six rebounds against the Celtics was a horrible performance for his standards. Playing in his first regular-season game since February, he wasn’t expected to be the main star, but it’s safe to say he didn’t meet what expectations he did have. 

With rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner starting at center and Miles Bridges starting at power forward for the Hornets, Embiid will have plenty of opportunities to dominate in the paint. Over his career, Embiid has averaged 30.6 PPG and 11.8 RPG in 20 games against Charlotte, making this game a great opportunity for him to get back on track.

Since the preseason, Embiid has been on a minutes restriction, so it’s unlikely that he’ll play his typical time. Even so, with his projected matchups in the starter minutes, he should be able to make a significant impact in as little as 20 minutes. 

Embiid could only need one good game to get back on track to his typical level of play, which is why it’s so important that he has success early on in the season. Hopefully, he’s able to take advantage of the prime opportunity to have one against the Hornets. 

 No. 2 - Let VJ Edgecombe Control the Ball

In game one against Boston, No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe had one of the best debut performances in NBA history, scoring 34 points to go along with seven rebounds. His 34 points were the third most in a player’s NBA debut in league history, and the most since Wilt Chamberlain in 1959. 

That said, while he was an unbelievable scorer for a rookie, perhaps the most impressive aspect of his debut was his ability to control the game. To put it simply, good things happened when the ball was in his hands.

He was not only able to take the ball himself for some impressive drives to the basket, but he was also able to move the ball around and create open looks for himself and for his teammates. To watch Edgecombe and Maxey work together in the backcourt was a thing of beauty, and it didn’t look like a fluke. 

Despite playing just one game in his NBA career, Edgecombe truly looks comfortable at this level, and he understands where to make his impact. To have similar success as in game one, Philly will need to continue to let the ball play through their star rookie. 

No. 3 Get an Early Lead

While the Sixers walked out of TD Garden with a win, it wasn’t easy, and it certainly wasn’t pretty. The two teams were battling closely throughout most of the game, and though the Sixers led going into halftime, the score was within two possessions, and they let the lead slip in the second half.

The Sixers can’t rely on fourth-quarter comebacks to be their path to victory, as the Celtics could have easily won that game had they hit their shots down the stretch. This isn’t to say that Philly got lucky, but they were one Celtics bucket away from starting their season 0-1. 

It will be important for Philly to take advantage of Embiid’s minutes early and gain some separation in the first half. If the Sixers can come out in the second half and extend an existing lead, Embiid will get to hit the bench late in the game without a potential minutes restriction having any impact. 

Injury Report: 

Paul George: OUT (Left knee)

Trendon Watford: OUT (Left hamstring)

Jared McCain: OUT (Right thumb)

Justin Edwards: PROBABLE (Right rib)