The Sixers (5-18) wrap up their three-game road trip when they face the Detroit Pistons (13-12) at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Sunday (6 p.m./CSN/CSNPhilly.com/NBC Sports App).
Let's take a closer look at the matchup.
1. Who's at center?
It's a legitimate question for the Sixers. Just when it looked like they may have all of their centers available for the first time all season, that won't be the case in Detroit.
Nerlens Noel is expected to make his season debut after undergoing left knee surgery during the preseason. Also, Jahlil Okafor will return to the lineup after missing the last three games with an illness.
However, rookie big man Joel Embiid will sit out the matchup with right elbow inflammation he suffered during the Sixers' win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.
Noel and Okafor won't get a chance to ease back into action with Detroit big man Andre Drummond on the other side. The Pistons' All-Star center is averaging 15.0 points, 13.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Plus, he's coming off back-to-back games of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds.
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2. Ersan emerges
While Sunday's matchup will likely be about just getting their feet wet again for the Sixers' centers, Ersan Ilyasova could be looking for a bit of revenge.
Ilyasova spent the first seven years of his NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks before being traded to Detroit following the 2014-15 campaign. At the time, Pistons head coach and president of the new regime, Stan Van Gundy, said Ilyasova was "a player we have coveted since we got to Detroit."
That praise didn't last long as Ilyasova was dealt at the trade deadline after just 52 games with the Pistons. That move also sparked a stretch that saw the veteran forward traded three times in 10 months.
Now with the Sixers, Ilyasova is playing some of the best basketball of his career. Since the calendar flipped to December, he has averaged 17.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists a night.
We'll see if Ilyasova, who has put up 23 points in each of the first two games on the road trip, has another strong performance in store for his former team Sunday night.
3. Opposites attract
The Sixers, who lead the NBA with 17.0 turnovers per game, did an excellent job taking care of the ball with just 10 in Thursday's win over the Pelicans.
They will need to play another clean game Sunday because that's what they can expect from the Pistons.
Detroit averages a league-low 11.5 turnovers per game. Obviously that means the Pistons don't give up many points off turnovers (12.1). They are also the only team in the NBA to give up under double digits in second-chance points (9.9.).
All of that means the Sixers must value their possessions and take advantage of their opportunities if they hope to walk away with a win.
4. Injuries
Embiid (elbow), Jerryd Bayless (wrist) and Ben Simmons (foot) are out for the Sixers.
Reggie Bullock (leg) is out for the Pistons.
5. This and that
• The Sixers were swept by the Pistons in the four-game series last season and allowed an average of 113.3 points in those matchups.
• The Sixers haven't won consecutive road games since Dec. 21 and 23, 2014.
• Former Sixers point guard Ish Smith is averaging 10.2 points, 6.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds a game for the Pistons this season.
