LA Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction - Combined Starting 5 featuring LeBron James and Joel Embiid
The LA Lakers are set to face the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday.
In bringing their immaculate 10-0 road record to the 76ers game, the Lakers are looking to extend their franchise-record road winning streak with a victory in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia 76ers sit atop the East with a 12-6 record but are coming off a 119-104 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
Franchise center Joel Embiid missed the game with back tightness. However, he could play against the LA Lakers on Wednesday.
Combined Starting 5 (LA Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction)
With the best record in the league, the LA Lakers won their third straight game after losing to the Golden State Warriors at home last week.
The Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-108 on Monday and now own an NBA-best 14-4 record. All four of their losses have surprisingly come on their home floor.
The Philadelphia 76ers have to be wary as they face LA’s road warriors and will hope that Joel Embiid is at full strength upon his return.
As we preview this NBA matchup, we now present to you our combined starting 5 for the LA Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers match.
Point Guard - Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)
Ben Simmons will be a tough cover for anyone on the LA Lakers roster. At 6-foot-11, the Philadelphia 76ers point guard can facilitate the offense with ease as he towers over almost any perimeter defender.
However, Simmons is averaging career-lows in scoring (12.8 points) and field goal percentage (52.5), even though his rebounds (8.4) are up from a season ago. He is slowly working his way back from a couple of injuries that he sustained last year but is still a force to be reckoned with.
More importantly, Simmons demonstrated last season that he’s as good as any defender in this league.
His matchup with the LA Lakers' LeBron James will be closely monitored as the two players will likely guard one another during stretches in this game.
Shooting Guard - Seth Curry (Philadelphia 76ers)
Seth Curry is in the midst of a breakout season, with career-highs in points (15.6), assists (3.0), and 3-point percentage (53.7).
The 7-year veteran has found a home with the Philadelphia 76ers, not just as a spot-up shooter but as an all-around scorer.
Curry will keep the LA Lakers’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso busy on defense. Interestingly, the aforementioned three players are among the top four 3-point shooters in the league this season.