The Philadelphia 76ers are 7-2 on the season and have won six straight games. But the completion gets a little tougher when they visit the New York Knicks on Wednesday, January 11. This is the third game in three nights for the 76ers and that will only make it more difficult. As a 76ers fan, I would love to see this team go on the road and shut down the Knicks. It would do a lot to validate the fact that the 76ers are a legitimate team in the eyes of the national media. But I also think that they are that kind of team even if they don’t win this game.

Let’s be honest. It is asking a lot for a team to win three games in three nights. The 76ers have had a very busy week and they are not going to win every game. Therefore, a loss against the Knicks would hardly be a sign that their fast start isn’t the real deal. But I am willing to bet the national media will be quick to say that the 76ers only beat bad teams. That might be true, but the 76ers have shown me that they are the real deal. I think they are the best team in the Atlantic Division no matter what happens against the Knicks.

That said the 76ers are fully capable of winning this game. They are built to succeed in this condensed schedule because of their youth and depth. Even if center Spencer Hawes can’t play because of his back strain, the 76ers still have enough depth to handle the Knicks. New York might have more star power, but the 76ers are a better team. The shoot the ball better and are easily better on defense. Entering this game, the 76ers look like a team that can handle the Knicks.

I would love to see the team pick up this win even though it is the fifth game in six nights. Getting a road win against a division rival under these circumstances is huge for this team. I think they can do it. Doug Collins knows how to rotate his players so fatigue shouldn’t be a huge issue. The 76ers are the rare team that has seven or eight players that can step up and dominate a game. That makes them hard to defend. For those reasons, I see the 76ers pulling out the win in New York.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and 76ers fan. Follow him on Twitter here.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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