Sixers start 2026-27 season

Sixers begin 2026-27 regular season on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden after acquiring LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.

Joel Embiid's scoring focus

Embiid emphasizes efficiency over volume, saying: 'When you put great players together, standards should be more efficient.'

“I think when you put great players together, the standards you should have yourself should be, whether it's be more efficient, because obviously you might get less touches, but you might get also more space”

All-Klutch lineup possibility

Maxey, James, Embiid, Walker and Caldwell-Pope could play together, with Walker now in backup center role.

“I love Jabari, he's been great, he's been doing his job, he's been hitting shots, rebounding defensively and offensively”

Tyrese Maxey's three-point shooting

Maxey's three-point percentage has been 30.1% to 43.4% over six seasons, with a potential 40%+ mark this season.

“Maxey shot 6.2 threes per game in 2022-23, averaging 8.6 long-range tries per game since then”

Dean Wade's role

Wade is expected to start regularly, with praise from Maxey, James and Nurse for his versatility and defense.

“He's a multi-faceted guy that can, we've talked about what he can do. He can guard, he can pop. He can rebound really well for his position”

Labaron Philon Jr. starts

Philon Jr. may start in limited minutes, with Nurse favoring veterans over him in the point guard rotation.

“I think they're different players, and I think the competition is not maybe like direct competition”

Dunk competition

James and Brown are expected to lead the team in dunks, with Embiid at 12 last season.

“Even while only playing 60 games in 2025-26, James threw down 97 dunks, tied for 23rd-most in the NBA”

Usage percentages

Embiid's usage rate is 33.5% this season, down from 35.3% in 2020-21, with James at 27.2%.

“Season Joel Embiid USG% 2020-21 35.3 2021-22 37.2 2022-23 37.0 2023-24 39.6 2024-25 34.2 2025-26 33.5”

Big 5 start together

The 'Big 5' (Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, James, Embiid) could start together 27.5 times during the regular season.

“If I had to set an over/under for how many times Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, James and Embiid start in tandem during the regular season, it would probably be something like 27.5”

Injury management

The Sixers face balancing health management with team chemistry for the new roster.

“How will the Sixers strike a balance between being responsible in managing the health of their vulnerable top players and creating as much chemistry and cohesion as possible with a new-look roster?”

Team chemistry

Brown and Edgecombe have bonded off-court, with Brown saying Edgecombe is 'one of my favorite people in the world'.

“JB is one of my favorite people in the world, he's a great person, man. Someone that I still talk to damn near every day”

Preseason outlook

The Sixers' preseason showed promise with strong performances from key players like Embiid and Maxey.

“I love Dean Wade. I love Dean Wade. Great teammate, I can tell already. He's a funny guy. Standup guy”

2026-27 season predictions

The Sixers aim to win the 2026-27 NBA championship with their new-look roster.

“It is time to meet the 2026-27 Sixers”

Championship focus

The Sixers' goal is to win the 2026-27 NBA championship with their star-studded roster.

“The Sixers start the season on the Madison Square Garden floor Tuesday night, moments after the New York Knicks raise a championship banner for the first time in more than 50 years”

Team dynamics

The Sixers' new roster dynamics could lead to a championship run in 2026-27.

“The Sixers have finally arrived at opening night after a long, dream offseason in which the Sixers acquired LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to play alongside Joel Embiid”

Season predictions

The Sixers' 2026-27 season predictions focus on team chemistry and championship potential.

“The Sixers' first mailbag of the season dives into all sorts of questions that will be worth monitoring throughout one of the most anticipated campaigns in franchise history”