By no means are we trying to be fatalistic as we trudge along through the middle of August and wait for Sixers training camp to open in late September. However, it’s at least worth pondering what MIGHT not work for Philly in a season that’s probably got more hype than any season we’ve seen for the franchise in over two decades. So, where do we begin?
The most obvious concern that comes with the Sixers this season is one that gets paraded out rather frequently whenever LeBron James changes teams. Will the “LeBron Show” get in the way of the team actually winning games? Could there be too much emphasis on playing through James? At 41, set to turn 42 at the end of the calendar year, James being a team’s top option is certainly not a strategy conducive to winning a championship.
The “LeBron Show” concerns extend beyond the on-court X’s and O’s. James is (reportedly, though it’s been refuted) going to have a film crew with him throughout his time in Philadelphia as his end-of-career documentary gets captured. How much of a distraction could that and James not even living in the Philadelphia area (again, reportedly) pose for the rest of the roster?
Despite the countless pictures that have been breaking social media lately, Joel Embiid’s health will always be a question mark on Philadelphia’s ceiling. Is Ariel Hukporti finally a viable backup to Embiid in order to weather the storm when the inevitable absences arise for the former MVP? This has been a problem for most of Embiid’s career. The Sixers do not win enough of the minutes he’s not on the floor and as Embiid continues to age, it’s even harder to count on him being available.
The 2026 postseason is a good example of the “Jekyll & Hyde” nature Embiid performs with in his 30s. In the first round series against Boston, Embiid did not play in the first three games. He then went on to become the first player in NBA history to score 100 total points in a playoff series without playing in the first three games and the Sixers pulled off the crowning postseason achievement of Embiid’s career, rallying from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the Celtics. However, Embiid simply wasn’t able to hold up and the only game the Sixers were even competitive in during the Knicks series in the next round was Game 2, a game that Embiid did not play in.
Bear in mind that going into the 2026 playoffs, the Sixers still had to get out of the play-in tournament having finished seventh in the Eastern Conference. Knowing that Embiid is essentially guaranteed to miss at least 30 games in the regular season, will the Sixers have enough in the tank from Hukporti or someone else to finish top-four in the East? Not only does a high seed allow for an easier path in the playoffs, but an easier path would probably allow the Sixers to take it easy with Embiid’s minutes for at least one round. That’s all stuff that needs to be factored in when it comes to discussing just how high the ceiling is for the 2026-27 Philadelphia 76ers.
Is it possible VJ Edgecombe’s development is stunted? Not that acquiring Jaylen Brown and James was a mistake by Mike Gansey and company, but maybe Edgecombe doesn’t take the next step. Nick Nurse will likely want to find some minutes for Labaron Philon and certainly for Anfernee Simons and does playing time for the two of them compromise the rising star?
Maybe Nurse doesn’t handle the backcourt rotation well enough. As we sit here in the middle of August, with recently-drafted guards in Edgecombe and Philon in the fold and Simons having just signed, you would think there’s a path towards minimizing Tyrese Maxey’s minutes in the regular season. However, Nurse has always been one to ride his starters and maybe that’s a needle he can’t or doesn’t want to thread and Maxey gets worn out in February or March.
Stunting the growth of Edgecombe and Nurse finding the right mix with his entire rotation can be combined into one commonly-voiced concern around the NBA when it comes to the Sixers. Maxey, James, Brown and Embiid are all high-usage players. All four players have been the focal point of offensive attacks at various points in their careers. Winning press conferences by saying things like, “I’ll do whatever it takes to win,” is one thing. But can those words actually be turned into tangible actions during an 82-game regular season plus the postseason? Will the stars of the Sixers be able to set their egos aside once the ball goes up in the air in October and the games start counting for real? It’s always going to be a concern any time a “superteam” takes the court for the first time.
Lastly, how does Brown handle the pressure of playing in another highly intense sports market, after being traded to the Sixers from one of their rivals? Yes, Brown is a former NBA Finals MVP, but we all know it wasn’t the cleanest of exits for Brown from Boston. If the Sixers get out on the wrong foot, there could be some mental hurdles that Brown will have to clear.
Perhaps none of these concerns are legitimate. It would be great if none of them were and the Sixers coasted to 55+ wins and were a top three seed in next spring’s Eastern Conference playoffs. But we’ve seen examples in every sport of teams that look good on paper before the season starts that can’t put it all together during the season. Anyways, enjoy the rest of the offseason, Sixers fans.
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