Sixers at Magic: Live stream, storylines, game time, more

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Since the reports of the Sixers’ trade for Jimmy Butler on Saturday, the hype has been building.

Wednesday, Butler will finally make his Sixers debut, against the Orlando Magic. Here's everything you need to know. 

• Butler addressed a ton of topics at the introductory press conference for himself and Justin Patton on Tuesday, and he didn’t shy away from any questions. He talked about his protracted, drama-filled exit from the Timberwolves; his reputation; his love for country music and his mini-van.

He also discussed his on-court fit with the Sixers and why he believes he’ll work well in the team’s offensive system, saying multiple times that “offense is easy" (see story). 

It will be interesting to watch how much head coach Brett Brown adjusts his offense in the early days of Butler’s Sixers career to use him most effectively. Though the Sixers run pick-and-rolls less frequently than any other NBA team, the possibilities of Butler-Joel Embiid and Butler-Ben Simmons pick-and-rolls are intriguing.

• The Sixers have a few-late game sets they turn to often. One action they love is the two-man game between Embiid and JJ Redick, in which Embiid receives an entry pass at the elbow and Redick curls up from the corner. It’s a simple play, and it works a lot because of how well Redick and Embiid play off each other. Redick hit the game-winning three-pointer on this play with 17 seconds left on Oct. 20, the first time the Sixers played the Magic this season.

The team also likes to use a three-game between Embiid, Redick and Simmons. Redick sets a middle ball screen for Simmons, then flares out behind the three-point line, with Embiid stationed on the strong-side wing. Below is one of many examples of that play, on Nov. 3 vs. the Pistons.

There’s no doubt Butler is now going to have an important role for the Sixers late in games. He leads the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring average this season (9.0 points per game), and has been in the top-15 in that category the past four seasons. Keep an eye out for new crunch time actions or wrinkles from Brown that feature Butler.

• As our national NBA reporter Tom Haberstroh detailed, the experiment of starting Markelle Fultz alongside Simmons has handicapped the Sixers’ offense (see video).

As Brown has said on many occasions, Fultz is best with the ball in his hands. He should have more opportunities at the point now with Butler in the fold. Per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Serena Winters, Butler will replace Fultz in the starting lineup.

With Fultz, however, there are greater concerns than his role on the new-look Sixers. His free-throw form deteriorated over the past three games, to the point that he shot a pump fake free throw Monday night — though Fultz claimed the ball slipped out of his hand. Brand said he still thinks Philadelphia is the best place for Fultz to develop, and that the trade for Butler wasn’t about losing faith in Fultz, but simply pouncing on an opportunity to gain ground in an improving Eastern Conference.

The dynamic between Butler and Fultz will be fascinating. 

“I think that, from what I can tell, a lot of things are mental,” Butler said of Fultz on Tuesday. “In this league, I think 90 percent of it is mental. If you think you can do something you really can. I know how hard he works because I'm in L.A. and I know that he comes by there and trains. I know some of the people that know him and they tell me how great he wants to be. 

“As long as he's going hard and giving his all out every day, the guy has my respect. I just want him to go out there, play hard, be who he is, stick to his strengths and I know he's just going to thrive. He's going to be successful.”

Below are the essentials for Wednesday’s game. 

When: 7 p.m. EST 
Where: Amway Center 
Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia (Pregame Live starts at 6:30 p.m. EST)
Live stream: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the MyTeams by NBC Sports app

Roster
Jonah Bolden, F, 6-10, 220, No. 43 
Jimmy Butler, F, 6-8, 236, No. 23 
Wilson Chandler, F, 6-9/225, No. 22 
Joel Embiid, C, 7-0/260, No. 21 
Markelle Fultz, G, 6-4/200, No. 20 
* Demetrius Jackson, G, 6-1/200, No. 11 
Amir Johnson, F/C, 6-9/240, No. 5 
Furkan Korkmaz, G/F, 6-7/185, No. 30 
T.J. McConnell, G, 6-2/190, No. 12 
* Shake Milton, G, 6-6/205, No. 18 
Mike Muscala, F/C, 6-11/240, No. 31 
JJ Redick, G 6-4/195, No. 17 13
Landry Shamet, G, 6-5/190, No. 23
Ben Simmons, G/F, 6-10/230, No. 25 
Zhaire Smith, G, 6-4/200, No. 8
Justin Patton, C, 6-11/229, No. 0

* Two-way player

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