Thursday, October 1, 2026
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With just over three weeks to go until the season opener against the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks, the new-look Sixers are back in the building and ready to begin their journey toward bringing a championship to the City of Brotherly Love.
The talk of the offseason has been dominated by the additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, but with training camp starting and the season fast approaching, the Sixers have a slew of new questions that need to be answered if they are going to accomplish what they set out to do.
Here are three preseason storylines to watch that could prove crucial to the Sixers' on-court product:
The Sixers have four stars accustomed to significant offensive roles and only one basketball to go around.
Everyone is going to have to make some sacrifices from what they are used to in order to make this work, but it is fair to assume that the bulk of the ball-handling responsibilities will be given to Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James. But what about when those guys hit the bench?
The Sixers have the personnel to play any style even without Maxey and James.
In the half court, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid are two of the best midrange shooters in the game, and both men have commanded their own offenses in the past.
Anfernee Simons is a crafty dribbler and a deadly pull-up shooter who may be the best option for leading the offense possession by possession off the bench.
VJ Edgecombe needs to continue his growth as well and, along with Brown (and Maxey and James), should be a nightmare to deal with in transition.
The Sixers have the players and the differing skill sets they need to run an efficient offense in any setting. How they decide to delegate the ball-handling duties after Maxey and James will be interesting to see.
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The Sixers have a long, troubled history with the backup center spot on the roster, so new President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey afforded Nick Nurse and the coaching staff numerous options to find something stable whether Joel Embiid is playing or not.
Adem Bona is entering his third season with the Sixers, and while he has the hops to jump out of the gym, other parts of his game remain raw, and the Sixers may not have the luxury of giving him extended minutes to work through them.
Jabari Walker is still here, too, but he works best in five-out sets, where his shooting ability helps to draw defenders away from the paint.
The Sixers did sign Ariel Hukporti, who could give Bona some real competition to earn what should be the majority of the backup center minutes to start out. Hukporti has a natural tenacity to him and is a solid rebounder and shot-blocker.
When Embiid does not play, though, it is Dean Wade who affords the team the most optionality. Wade is undersized at the center position, but his defensive chops and shooting make him a natural fit for a small-ball group.
Wade can easily slot into the starting center role for the team and give Maxey, Brown and LeBron an ocean of open space in the paint to work with and be at the ready to fire off the catch once defenses get in rotation.
Maybe the most important question heading into the season is how Nick Nurse structures his rotations to ensure his team the best chance to win games.
For the entirety of the Joel Embiid era, the Sixers have struggled with maintaining and growing leads when he hits the bench. With Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in the mix, that should be far less of an issue this year than it has in years past, but it is still on the coaching staff to figure out what works best, with the likely goal of keeping at least two projected starters on the court at all times.
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have built a very dependable chemistry over their time together, and that is something that should continue to be emphasized going forward, given Maxey's ability to play both on and off the ball. LeBron should also see a fair amount of time on the court with Maxey and Embiid, leveraging what could be a great pick-and-roll tandem between him and Embiid with Maxey's shooting ability and closeout speed.
Jaylen Brown should also be given opportunities to run the offense on his own, and as a proven iso-heavy bucket-getter, his skill set lends itself perfectly to taking advantage of opponents' second units. Pair Brown with VJ Edgecombe on the wing, and the Sixers have the ability to win possessions with power, speed, athleticism and skill even if the other main guys are on the bench.
Nurse will have countless lineup combinations to experiment with, and the preseason will give him his first opportunity to determine which ones work best.
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