October 03, 2026
Adam Aaronson/for PhillyVoice
The Sixers' annual Blue x White Scrimmage was moved to Xfinity Mobile Arena to accommodate fan interest.
PHILADELPHIA – The Sixers' annual Blue x White Scrimmage has never been as high-profile of an event as it was on Saturday, as a near-capacity crowd filled Xfinity Mobile Arena to get the first glimpse at one of the most talented five-man lineups ever assembled.
After four days of practice, the Sixers' projected starters – Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid – finally got work in publicly.
Before starters and reserves got mixed and matched for the remainder of the afternoon, the Sixers' five cornerstones made up Team Blue for the first of three 10-minute quarters, with veteran reserves Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope backing them up against a Team White group comprised of Labaron Philon Jr., Caleb Love, Rayan Rupert, Jabari Walker and Ariel Hukporti.
Possession after possession, Sixers fans gasped at the ease with which the starting group scored. Even in a low-stakes environment like this one, it was immediately easy to see the vision for how dominant this group could be. With five players capable of exploding offensively on any given night – and four with long histories of being focal points – defenses will be put in precarious positions over and over.
What stood out from just a brief session with the Sixers' starters: how easy of a time they had creating and exploiting mismatches.
It typically took a screen or two to create a situation in which the backups found themselves in scramble mode. Between the quick decision-making of Embiid and James and the elite athleticism of Maxey, Edgecombe and Brown, this is a team uniquely suited to put defenses in binds and execute when they are compromised. They are eager to thrive in transition as much as possible, and they have the personnel to do so.
MORE: Nick Nurse wants to move Embiid 'around the floor,' rookie Philon standing out
Quick hit-ahead passes like the ones the Sixers were throwing – James and Embiid are particularly adept at this – will not only generate more transition opportunities, but also create cross-matches that they have the ability to capitalize on. This dynamic may benefit Brown most of all; he flowed into a few easy post-ups against smaller guards after early hits ahead.
One of those sparked one of the more exciting flashes of the day, even if it resulted in a miss. Brown drew an immediate double-team and found a cutting James, then James immediately whipped a behind-the-back pass to Edgecombe in the corner:
76ERS BALL MOVEMENT 😳🔥
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 3, 2026
KCP LOB TO LEBRON 👑
(Via @sixers) pic.twitter.com/svkbb5cFlQ
The sheer variety of high-efficiency offensive options at the Sixers' disposal is jarring. It can be encapsulated with a log of the Sixers' baskets during the starters' time on the floor together:
First, Edgecombe drove to the basket and dropped the ball off for an easy Embiid dunk. Then Embiid caught the ball at the elbow while simultaneously screening Maxey's defender and passing the ball to Maxey for an easy rim finish. James pushed the ball down the floor and passed it to Embiid for a top-of-the-key triple. James hit a wing three next; then he threw down a transition lob from Maxey. James grabbed a defensive rebound and hit the ball ahead to Maxey, who found himself with backup center Ariel Hukporti on an island. Maxey discarded him with a gorgeous step-back move, then buried a corner triple. After Edgecombe's missed three off of James' behind-the-back dish, James grabbed a defensive rebound and found a streaking Maxey, whose missed layup was put back by Brown. Then Brown got a chance against Hukporti on a cross-match and finished a nifty reverse layup. James took a turn next, burying his signature step-back wing triple of Hukporti.
As the reserves started mixing in – with some starters eventually moving to Team White – other interesting combinations formed. Given all that has happened in their NBA careers, it was a sight to behold when Embiid set a screen for Brown to pull up and knock down an above-the-break three. But the two highlights of the night belonged to Embiid and Edgecombe.
On Team Blue's final possession of the first quarter, Edgecombe and Embiid called for their teammates to clear out. They went to their two-man game, and Edgecombe finding a lane to cut resulted in one of the most thunderous dunks he has ever thrown down in Philadelphia:
VJ EDGECOMBE THIS DUNK OH MY pic.twitter.com/x2DmMNUz0o
— MAL (@MindOfBron) October 3, 2026
Later on, with Edgecombe and Embiid no longer teammates, the 21-year-old went for a one-handed transition slam. Embiid went for the sort of block he has only made a few times over the last few years, but used to be commonplace. Embiid and his teammates requested a review when this was called a foul:
OMG EMBIID MET VJ AT THE RIM BUT IT WAS CALLED A FOUL pic.twitter.com/ihK3IBX6yB
— MAL (@MindOfBron) October 3, 2026
"I thought I was all-ball," Embiid said after the scrimmage ended.
MORE: Brown leaning on Tyrese Maxey; James' role coming into focus
Between that block attempt, a left-handed driving dunk and a few additional plays, it is clear that Embiid is not just much lighter physically now than he has been over the last few years, but that he is much quicker on his feet.
"We got a plan together, and he's been in every single drill, every single practice. So there's been no restrictions," Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey said before the scrimmage. "Obviously, worked super hard this summer. He told me he was motivated. He wanted to have a great year, and he's showing it out there. Looks a little bit lighter, obviously, but the skill level is still there. I mean, some of the stuff he does now, seeing it in person, it's incredible to watch some of the stuff he does on the floor. So we're excited about him, and he's been good this first week."
This is a hell of a thing. pic.twitter.com/triQb9DtL8
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) October 3, 2026
While James' close relationship with Maxey is well-documented, Embiid is the only player on the team he has actually teamed with before.
"Basically kind of picked up from 2024 during Olympics. We had some chemistry. We played a lot of minutes," James said. "He started a lot of games for us that summer, but the difference between ‘24 and now, he's just so much healthier. He hasn't missed a practice. He’s been in damn near everything that we've done. Pretty much – they’ve had to sit him out at times, even when he wanted to keep going. So, obviously you see even [how much he played today]. So, it's been good. Actually, great."
MORE: More thoughts on Sixers' star-studded starting lineup from Media Day
