Sixers pre-camp questions: Who will Sixers run their late-game offense through?

Sixers pre-camp questions: Who will Sixers run their late-game offense through? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers‘ new era is on deck.

With LeBron James and Jaylen Brown on board and training camp set to begin in late September, we’re taking a look at key questions for the 2026-27 Sixers.

We’ve asked:

Next up: Who will the Sixers run their late-game offense through?

The Sixers went 23-18 in clutch situations — defined as the final five minutes of games within five points —during the 2025-26 season. They were eighth in offensive rating (115.2) and shined defensively in the clutch, sporting a league-best 98.6 defensive rating.

Among players with at least 10 appearances in the clutch last regular season, Tyrese Maxey’s 4.0 clutch points per game ranked seventh in the NBA. He shot 46.5 percent from the floor, 26.7 percent from three-point range and 86.3 percent at the foul line.

Maxey was the Sixers’ go-to clutch player in a way that went far beyond him playing the most minutes. The All-NBA guard took 99 clutch field goals. VJ Edgecombe was next with 46, followed by Joel Embiid with 40. The Sixers’ clutch shot distribution will presumably be much less lopsided in the 2026-27 season.

Though Maxey has his challenges as a 6-foot-2 lead ball handler, he’s an ultra-explosive athlete with deep shooting range and doesn’t mind clutch responsiblity.

“His speed is unlike others,” new Sixer Anfernee Simons said of Maxey in a July virtual press conference. “His ability to shoot the ball, his ability to get downhill, his ability to just change the game. I think that’s what makes him special. …That’s one of the things that stands out, just his ability to hit big shots and change the game completely.”

Notably, Edgecombe excelled down the stretch of games his rookie year. He went 58.7 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from three-point range in the clutch, hit game-winning shots, and frequently found the ball with timely rebounds, steals and blocks. We don’t imagine Edgecombe isolations will feature in head coach Nick Nurse’s late-game play calls, but the 21-year-old guard should continue to log heavy clutch minutes and make important plays.

Brown was the Celtics’ primary clutch offensive option last season, tallying 91 points in 95 minutes. He wasn’t close to flawless in the clutch, posting five more turnovers than assists (15-10) and missing 15 of his 21 three-point tries. Still, Brown should be a valuable player for the Sixers in clutch moments because of his isolation scoring ability, physicality and knack for drilling difficult shots. Those traits are all handy when the game is on the line and it’s typically harder to run fluid offense.

James was the Lakers’ No. 2 clutch scorer last year behind Luka Doncic. The hunch here is that he’ll often be the hub of the Sixers’ clutch offense. Every Sixer will respect James’ multi-decade track record and trust his end-of-game problem-solving. Even when he isn’t delivering a flurry of jumpers or burning defenses with clever passes, James will likely be central to the Sixers’ clutch plans.

Embiid should not be forgotten by any means.

The seven-time All-Star’s post-ups will continue to draw heaps of double teams. Embiid’s two-man game with Maxey is well-oiled and dangerous, especially when the 32-year-old big man is in his groove as a short roller and mid-range shooter. Embiid will also hope to build on the Olympic chemistry he had with James two years ago. While Embiid has never been a traditional pick-and-roll center, he’s smart, skilled and very capable of clicking in the clutch with the Sixers’ new stars.

When the clock is winding down and the Sixers are searching for points, they shouldn’t be short on promising options.

For Nurse and his players, the goal will be landing on the right ones against specific opponents and matchups. James and Brown now being Sixers should help in terms of both adaptability and pure star power.