The Philadelphia 76ers host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:00 p.m. ET tonight, Oct. 22, on ESPN. It's the home opener in Philly, and the first time LeBron James and Jaylen Brown will play in front of their new crowd. Expect a raucous environment, especially with the Eagles in decline and the Phillies freshly eliminated. Somehow, the Sixers are the city's last hope.

For the Cavs, it's a revenge game of a kind. Just about everybody expected LeBron to sign with Cleveland this summer; it would've been his third stint with the franchise and an appropriate swan song for the greatest of several generations. Cleveland is LeBron's hometown team and the ties run thick. The Cavs probably don't mind the opportunity to make James second-guess his offseason decision.

Cavaliers made strides this summer despite LeBron snub

The Cavs, to their credit, did not sit on their hands after the LeBron snub in free agency. Cleveland needed to upgrade its wing rotation and the Peyton Watson sign-and-trade was the boldest upside swing available. There's some risk associated with it, as Watson's NBA track record is still limited, but on paper he provides the sort of versatile defense and three-level scoring this team previously lacked next to Donovan Mitchell and James Harden on the perimeter.

Mario Hezonja was the more immediate signing after LeBron's decision; a former lottery pick, he rejoins the NBA after several years overseas. Hezonja has radically transformed his approach in Europe, becoming a more dependable shooter and a rugged wing defender. He should get real minutes on this team, especially against an opponent with Philadelphia's perimeter scoring arsenal.

The real advantage for Cleveland in this matchup, at least on paper, is continuity. The Sixers won ugly in their season opener, which was an impressive display for a new-made team. The ball was moving and guys were unselfish, even as shots weren't falling. Philadelphia also appears well ahead of the curve defensively, aided by a vintage Joel Embiid performance on that end of the floor against New York.

Still, there are clearly warts to overcome offensively as LeBron James and Jaylen Brown adjust to their new surroundings; that also means new roles for Maxey, Edgecombe and Embiid, with the latter appearing especially out of sorts in his season debut. (Embiid scored 13 points on 4-of-15 shooting and committed four turnovers against New York.)

The Cavs starting five, besides Watson, has built-in chemistry. James Harden only arrived midway through last season, but he made a conscious and successful effort to not step on toes. His playmaking is additive, consistently elevating Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen in particular. Watson should benefit a ton from the attention Harden draws in the middle of the floor.

In the frontcourt, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley historically struggle with the Embiid matchup, but Cleveland has a minted top-10 defense and a significant theoretical edge on the glass. The connectivity of this team, on both ends of the floor, perhaps affords Cleveland a higher baseline. The Sixers are more prone to growing pains and the associated lulls.

Sixers can make a statement with a 2-0 start

On Philadelphia's side, this is a chance to cement their early claim on Eastern Conference contention. Beating the Knicks is one thing; winning with defense when points were hard to come by was an even more impressive feat. Despite all the moving parts, despite the natural feeling out process, Philly moved the ball, communicated well, and found ways to stifle the reigning champs despite shooting 11-of-40 from deep.

It was the best Embiid has looked defensively in years. Maxey came up with six stocks and was a beat in transition. Jaylen Brown slid beautifully into a lower-usage role (gasp!), put up six assists to two turnovers, and clamped Jalen Brunson down the stretch. LeBron played awesome defense on small-ball five. He might have more energy on that end of the floor than he ever did in L.A.; James no longer needs to carry the flame offensively.

The early schedule for Philadelphia is brutal. New York and Cleveland were in the Eastern Conference Finals last season; the 60-win Pistons are on the docket this weekend. There's no way the Sixers can climb the East standings without resistance, but a 2-0 start for a new "superteam" still in the 'figuring out' process sure would qualify as a loud statement. Especially if LeBron can help take down one of his other suitors, which is the Uno reverse card for his whole revenge narrative from Cleveland.