The Philadelphia 76ers made the biggest splash of free agency, signing basketball legend LeBron James in the twilight years of his career. They’ve made the NBA Playoffs eight of the last nine years, yet have been unable to punch past the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Is this the push that gets them over the hump?
Throughout the past nine years, the Sixers have used many combinations of stars. They’ve had Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, James Harden, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey. Only Embiid and Maxey remain.
However, through the past two offseasons, Philly has acquired VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, and LeBron.
A starting lineup of Maxey, Edgecombe, James, Brown, and Embiid is undoubtedly the most potent lineup the organization has ever put together. It’s one of, if not the best, lineups on paper in the entire NBA.
But there’s one potential obstacle standing in the way: injuries.
Joel Embiid’s Health Nightmares
Joel Embiid has arguably the NBA’s most infamous injury history.
It’s gotten to the point where, despite being in the league for over a decade, he’s missed more than half the games he’s played. In fact, he started his career injured. This has also affected him in the playoffs.
As the most recent player on the roster to win an MVP award, Embiid getting injured again during this massive opportunity would be catastrophic. He has averaged over 30 points and 10 rebounds in three of the last five seasons. Losing him would be a significant blow to the Sixers’ offense and rebounding abilities.
Contending for a championship also means facing other star big men. Karl-Anthony Towns of the 2026 champion New York Knicks will be waiting in the East. The eventual Western Conference champion will almost definitely have a big man who is a force to be reckoned with.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets are the most likely teams to come out of the West. That means facing either the twin towers of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, or arguably one of the two best bigs in the league: Victor Wembanyama or Nikola Jokić.
Given that Embiid is tied for the tallest player on the Sixers and by far the heaviest player, losing him means other great bigs around the league will feast on Philly.
LeBron and the Rest of the Philadelphia 76ers
While LeBron has kept himself in supreme condition throughout his career, he is getting older and has slowly begun playing fewer games over the years. No matter how hard he tries, no one beats Father Time. The older he gets, the more vulnerable he becomes to injury.
The King’s health is therefore definitely something the Sixers will want to monitor closely.
While Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe, or bench players could get hurt as well, the chances of an injury happening to those players, and ultimately derailing everything, are lower.
The Sixers have everything they need to win their first championship since 1983. They missed out on the LeBron sweepstakes in 2018, but got the job done this year. This season should be the culmination of “The Process.”
They have to get one thing right: stay healthy.
Leave a comment