The Sixers (1-23) open up a three-game road trip when they face the Toronto Raptors (15-9) at Air Canada Centre on Sunday night (6 p.m./CSN).
Let's take a closer look at the matchup:
1. Dig a hole
The Sixers are in the midst of some pretty big changes.
Jerry Colangelo was added to the front office. Head coach Brett Brown agreed to a two-year contract extension. Plus, a report has surfaced the team is in discussions with Mike D'Antoni about coming aboard as associate head coach.
While all of those changes off the court are fine, the current state of things on the floor remains the same.
The Sixers got off to another slow start and could never fully recover during a 107-95 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday. The Sixers managed just 14 points during the first quarter in the defeat.
That type of first-period production is all too familiar for the Sixers. They haven't scored more than 17 points during the first in their last three games and are averaging 14.6 points in the game's opening quarter in that span.
NBA
For the season, the Sixers are averaging a league-low 21.2 points in the first quarter, which plays a huge role in their NBA-worst 91.0 points per game.
The Sixers don't have to look that far for a little motivation on breaking out of their first-quarter funk. They scored a season-high 34 points during the first frame in their Nov. 11 matchup with the Raptors.
2. Welcome back
That's more like it.
After some off-court troubles and an upper-respiratory infection appeared to be slowing Jahlil Okafor down, the Sixers' rookie center has come back strong over the past two games. He put up 22 points for the second straight night and added six boards against the Pistons. Just as important, he was much more efficient with his shots (55.6 percent).
In the four games prior to facing the Pistons and Brooklyn Nets, which were wrapped around a two-game suspension for his involvement in a Boston street fight, Okafor was managing just 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds on 31.4 percent shooting.
Look for Okafor to continue his resurgence against the Raptors. He had arguably the best game of his young career during the season's first meeting when he scored 26 points on 13 for 22 shooting, grabbed seven boards and blocked four shots.
3. Guarded optimism
When the Sixers step on the court Sunday night, they will have their full complement of point guards for the first time all season.
Free-agent signee Kendall Marshall made his season debut against the Pistons after rehabbing from a torn ACL. He looked like the calming floor general Brown was talking about all offseason, as Marshall recorded five points and six assists in 16 minutes of action.
Tony Wroten, who is coming off his own torn ACL, sat out the second game of the back-to-back set Friday. He's looked rusty in his three games so far but has also shown flashes of that electric athleticism that makes him tough to guard.
T.J. McConnell continues to be as steady as they come. The undrafted rookie is averaging 7.2 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds.
And there's always Isaiah Canaan to fill in at PG in a pinch (we know the shoot-first guard is not the best choice to run a team, but he has served in the role before).
Marshall and Wroten give the Sixers some much-needed size at point guard and additional playmaking. Throw in McConnell's heady play and grit, and the Sixers may just finally have a serviceable rotation at the game's most important position.
4. Injuries
Lucas Nogueira (ankle) is day to day, while DeMarre Carroll (knee) and Jonas Valanciunas (hand) are out.
Carl Landry (wrist) and Joel Embiid (foot) are out for the Sixers.
5. This and that
• The Sixers have lost nine consecutive games to the Raptors.
• The Raptors are closing out a six-game homestand.
• The Sixers have lost their last two games in Toronto by a combined 48 points.
• Kyle Lowry has averaged 15.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds against his hometown Sixers during his career.
• Luis Scola scored 17 of his 21 points during the third quarter in the season's first meeting.