Three Questions Heading into 76ers’ 2026-27 Season

It is here. The highly anticipated season opener for the 2026-27 76ers against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

This will be the first time seeing the new-look Sixers with the offseason additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James all together in a meaningful contest, and what’s more compelling than ring night at the mecca of basketball?

The expectations for the 76ers are obviously high, but they will also face some questions and potential challenges for them to overcome to exceed expectations.

Here are the three biggest questions the Sixers face ahead of Tuesday’s opener:

Can the Sixers play with no egos?

The biggest matter besides health for the Sixers is absolutely the egos.

The entire starting five, besides VJ Edgecombe, who is a rising star, is filled with All-Stars and MVPs. Every superstar wants the ball and looks to shoot, and that can badly damage team chemistry if the many stars on this Sixers roster let their egos get to them, especially in close late-game scenarios.

As long as they play together, move the ball well, and develop team chemistry, they will be just fine. In the preseason, they passed the ball a lot and got some really good looks, which proves the point that this team is loaded with talent, and they just have to play together.

Maxey and James will likely be racking up assists, while Maxey and Brown will presumably be the Sixers’ go-to options late in the game if the score is close and they need a basket. Brown is also elite at isolating, which puts him as the Sixers’ lead option late in games.

If the Sixers all play selfish and independent basketball, the whole thing general manager Mike Gansey built fails. They would force bad shots, not communicate, and turn the ball over. This would create massive frustrations all around, thrashing chemistry and eradicating the operation.

Can the Sixers have one healthy season?

Health will be a large deciding factor in how far the Sixers can go this season. Talent is important, but health is mandatory for success. Specifically for Joel Embiid, who has had all the talent for years, constant injuries set him and the team back.

With the stars surrounding him, Embiid will no longer be the top option, escalating his risk of injury. His workload offensively will decrease significantly, allowing him to work more without the ball. With Tyrese Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, and James, the Sixers are no longer fully relying on Embiid’s health, but the team overall has to stay healthy.

Dominick Barlow (lumbar spine bone stress response), Adem Bona (foot), Ariel Hukporti (ruptured Achilles), Tacko Fall (hip), Dean Wade (ankle), and Anfernee Simons (hamstring) are all dealing with injuries right now ahead of the season beginning, and it is very important that it does not spread even more around the team.

The good news for the Sixers is they are tied for the fewest back-to-back games with the Oklahoma City Thunder. While they still have to take care of their bodies and stay healthy, because all it takes is one play for a brutal injury, their bodies will not be too taxed.

Can their backup centers do their job?

With Barlow, Bona, and Hukporti sidelined, the Sixers lack a solidified backup center to open the season.

This brings up the question of whether the bench can do their job this season when Embiid needs some rest or inevitably misses time. Jabari Walker could play some backup center in a small-ball lineup, and they need the defensive physicality and rebounding.

The small-ball lineup can create problems, though, when they face bigger, stronger, and more athletic bigs that would dominate down low and take advantage of the 76ers.

Fall could have helped the Sixers with rim protection due to his size, but with him hurt, they are in deep trouble in the paint when they face bigger centers. Walker is physical and has the tools to fit in the backup big role, but there are still concerns when they play those bigger centers.

To make things more difficult for the Sixers, despite Walker’s strong performance throughout preseason, he still has yet to prove himself as a reliable and physical rebounder. He only averaged three rebounds per game last season. Positively, though, he is only 24 years old and can absolutely take the next step forward with more opportunity with Bona and Hukporti sidelined. Hukporti’s injury is season-ending, and they will only be waiting for Bona to heal up.

The backup guard should not be an issue with Labaron Philon Jr. and Simons leading the bench.

If the backup centers play well and rebound, the Sixers should be just fine. If they play poorly and get outrebounded and the defensive effort decreases, they might be in some trouble when the starters are resting.

The Sixers likely will not play a lineup with zero starters in, and it could be smart to make sure there is constantly a starting center in there, which could be either Embiid or James depending on who is and is not resting.

Get New Articles Emailed Right To Your Inbox: