What happened: Philadelphia will face Eastern Conference opponents in 19 of its first 21 games, with Houston and Portland providing the only Western matchups. NBA Cup play begins Oct. 30 at home against New York, the second meeting between the teams in the season's first 10 days.
Why it matters: Philadelphia has yet to reach the NBA Cup knockout round and draws New York, Cleveland, Indiana and Miami in group play. The compressed opening stretch will test a new-look roster led by Joel Embiid and LeBron James.
By the numbers: Indiana appears three times before December, while New York, Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago each appear twice. Three of the four early back-to-backs require travel.
What to watch: Watch Philadelphia's rotation choices during the Oct. 24-25 home back-to-back against Milwaukee and Detroit.