The Sixers (0-6) will again go for their first win of the season when they travel to take on the Indiana Pacers (3-4) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday (7 p.m./CSN).
Let's take a closer look at the matchup.
1. Remember he's a rookie … and he rests
Joel Embiid looked every bit the rookie in the Sixers' last game.
Sure, a quick glance at the numbers read that the center had 14 points on 4 of 8 shooting along with nine rebounds. However, the rookie also turned the ball over five times and committed five fouls in just 19 minutes during Monday's 109-84 loss to the Utah Jazz.
Embiid will have to wait a little bit longer than he would like for a chance at redemption. He did not make the trip with the Sixers to face Pacers, instead remaining in Philadelphia for rest.
That's a plan he understands after being sidelined for two straight years because of foot injuries, but that doesn't make it any easier on the big man.
“That kind of caught me off guard,” Embiid said after practice Monday (see story). “It's frustrating, but they care about me. I think it's going to help me a lot down the road. Whatever how many years I'm going to play — 15, 20 years — it's really going to help me down the road. They care about me. It's frustrating, I want to play, but it is what it is.”
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2. Getting a jump on the season for giving
Embiid wasn't the lone culprit in the turnover category against the Jazz. Just about every Sixer got in on the action.
Eight of the 12 Sixers that played committed at least one giveaway as the team had 18 turnovers in the defeat.
Turnovers have been a constant issue for the Sixers under head coach Brett Brown and so far 2016-17 has been no different. The team is currently tied for 28th in the NBA with 17.3 giveaways a game.
The Sixers aren't just turning the ball over, either. They're also giving up points off those miscues as they sit 25th in opponents' points off turnovers.
The only silver lining for the Sixers is that the Pacers are actually worse in that department. Indiana is allowing a league-high 22.7 points per game off turnovers.
3. George is curious about woes
Points off turnovers is just one area of concern for a Pacers team that has gotten off to a sluggish start.
Projected to be contenders in the Eastern Conference, Indiana has struggled to find any consistency. Over the past week, the Pacers have lost to the Milwaukee Bucks by 18, beaten the Chicago Bulls by 17 and lost to the Charlotte Hornets by 22.
"We're all out of whack," Pacers star Paul George said to the Indianapolis Star. "There's no trust. There's no chemistry. There's no belief. We're kind of just lifeless right now."
The Pacers will look to find some of that spark against a Sixers team they have defeated in nine of the last 10 meetings.
4. Injuries
Embiid (rest), Ben Simmons (foot), Nerlens Noel (knee) and Jerryd Bayless (wrist) are out for the Sixers.
Rodney Stuckey (hamstring) is out for the Pacers.
5. This and that
• The Sixers lost all three meetings with the Pacers by double digits last season.
• The Sixers have lost 43 straight games in the months of October and November.
• The Pacers have former Sixers Thaddeus Young, Lavoy Allen and Glenn Robinson III on their roster.