The 76ers have announced their 2019-20 preseason schedule, which features opponents from around the NBA and around the world.
The 11-day, five-game schedule consists of three contests at home, and is as follows:
Tuesday, Oct. 8 vs. Guangzhou Loong Lions 7 p.m. The Center
Friday, Oct. 11 at Charlotte 7:30 p.m. Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Winston-Salem, NC)
Sunday, Oct. 13 at Orlando 6 p.m. Amway Center
Tuesday, Oct. 15 vs. Detroit 7 p.m. The Center
Friday, Oct. 18 vs. Washington 7 p.m. The Center
Get to know each of the team’s opponents…
The Guangzhou Loong Lions will visit the States for the third consecutive season after facing the Washington Wizards in each of the past two preseasons. The Lions 2018-19 team featured former 76er Marreese Speights, who played in Philadelphia from 2008-2012. Speights was also a member of the 73-win 2015-16 Golden State Warriors squad prior to his eventual move abroad in 2018.
Kyle Fogg, who played in the G League after his four-year career at the University of Arizona, was the Lions’ leading scorer last season, boasting 34.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game.
The Lions are coached by Juan Antonio Orenga, who played professionally for 19 years abroad and was a member of the Spanish national team before entering the coaching world.
The Sixers will meet the Charlotte Hornets at the home of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons for their preseason duel. The Hornets will have a different look this season in the absence of star point man Kemba Walker, who spent the first eight seasons of his career in Charlotte before joining the Boston Celtics this summer.
Replacing Walker is Terry Rozier, who averaged nine points, four rebounds, and three assists for the Celtics in 2018-19.
With a trio of picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Hornets selected PJ Washington (Kentucky) 12th overall, along with Cody Martin (Nevada), and Jalen McDaniels (San Diego State).
The Sixers will travel to visit the Orlando Magic to mark the midpoint of their preseason. In 2018-19, the Magic made their first postseason appearance since 2011-12. The Magic bested the Raptors in their playoff opener, beating the eventual champs 104-101.
Big man Nikola Vucevic had a breakout season for the Magic in 2018-19, averaging 20.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game and earning his first All-Star nod.
The Magic selected Chuma Okeke (Auburn) 16th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, following a breakout sophomore season at Auburn that ended in heartbreak when an injury sidelined Okeke en route to the team’s Final Four appearance.
Returning to The Center on October 15th, the Sixers will host the Detroit Pistons, which finished the 2018-19 season at 41-41, earning the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Pistons are led by Blake Griffin, who averaged 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 2018-19, and Andre Drummond, who averaged a massive 17.3-point, 15.6-rebound double-double last season.
The team added Sekou Doumbouya with the 15th overall pick in this year’s draft. Doumbouya, one of the youngest prospects in the 2019 draft class (Doumboya turned 18 in December 2018), played most recently for Limoges CSP in France.
The Sixers will close their 2019 preseason slate by hosting the Washington Wizards, which finished 32-50 in 2018-19. Bradley Beal put together a season of career-highs, averaging 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists (all career bests) in 2018-19.
The Wizards promoted Tommy Sheppard to general manager in the offseason, while Scott Brooks remains at the helm of the coaching staff.
The Wizards drafted Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga) ninth overall this summer, following his junior season. Hachimura was named WCC Player of the Year in 2019, and made history as the first Japanese-born player to be drafted into the NBA.
Check back to sixers.com for more updates as the season approaches.