The Sixers have rarely had the kind of firepower they currently boast, according to Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice who notes that Philadelphia’s collection of scoring threats puts the team in position to withstand injuries to key starters without its offense falling off significantly.
That depth provides a lot of built-in security but also raises questions about which lineups head coach Nick Nurse will employ. One thing is certain, Aaronson writes: Nurse will have to rely on staggering his stars if he wants to give each of his top five scoring threats the type of offensive freedom they’re accustomed to.
It’s crucial for Nurse to experiment with different star configurations before the 2027 playoffs to know which buttons to press, Aaronson adds. Joel Embiid represents something of a wild card — he’s the star expected to play the least and also has the least proven depth behind him. Embiid also plays at his own speed, while the rest of the starting lineup is comfortable playing either fast or slow.
Embiid may be the least staggered, which would lead to figuring out which pairings of Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombeand LeBron James are the most effective together. Maxey and James are an interesting combination, as James’ play-making complements Maxey’s off-ball speed and shot-making.
We have more news and notes out of Philadelphia:
- The Sixers have filled two of their three two-way slots, signing guard Caleb Love and wing Rayan Rupertand the team has gotten significant value out of their two-ways in the past, including unearthing positive contributors in Dominick Barlow, Justin Edwardsand Jabari Walker. Philadelphia plans to enter the preseason with its third and final two-way slot unfilled, Aaronson reports. That will allow the team to evaluate its training camp invitees while also keeping an eye out for two-way players from other rosters who might shake loose before opening night.
- Maxey recently discussed his recruitment of James to the Sixers on the Numbers On The Board podcast, denying that he was “blowing up” James’ phone. “Now, did I call? For sure, for sure. I didn’t know at first if it was possible or not,” he said (Twitter video link). “… (Agent Rich Paul) was like, ‘Look, I don’t know what he’s gonna do, he doesn’t know what he’s gonna do, so holla at him… I probably talked to him at least three or four times.” Maxey added that James has been a big brother figure to him since he was drafted in 2020, and their offseason workouts helped open the door for these conversations.
- The Sixers’ preseason schedule was announced on Monday, as relayed by Keith Pompey (via Twitter). The opening game will take place on October 5 against the defending champion Knicks, in a preview of their season opener on October 20. They will then have three more games over the next eight days against the Nets and Celtics.