September 28, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Can Jaylen Brown become a "defensive monster" for his new team?
CAMDEN, N.J. – If NBA games were played on paper, the Sixers would already be 2026-27 NBA champions.
Alas, Media Day on Monday was merely the kickoff of a season the Sixers hope reaches that point in reality. And after a few volatile years which caused national mockery and local apathy, a dream summer orchestrated by new Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey has netted the franchise more talent than it has ever had – largely wrapped up in one of the most gifted groupings of five starters in recent league history.
Tuesday will mark the Sixers' very first practice, and this team understands the incredibly long road ahead. But Monday was, in some ways, a coronation. The Sixers are back in the mix of teams believed to be legitimate championship contenders, with a five-headed monster set to lead them moving forward.
Welcome to the first 5 Sixers thoughts of the 2026-27 season, with Media Day tidbits from Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid:
It did not take long for the Sixers and their fans to gravitate towards Maxey, his infectious personality and his wide smile. It was clear immediately that he was leadership material, and that if his skills developed he could be a franchise cornerstone in Philadelphia. But, within six years of being drafted, Maxey led a successful recruitment of arguably the best player in the history of the NBA. His ascent has been nothing short of remarkable.
"I had a list of five teams that I was interested in," James said. "...I have a really, really good – I don't want to say good – great relationship with Tyrese [Maxey]. And we talked about a lot. I picked his brain a lot. Not only where he sees his career going, how he sees the franchise here, how much he believes in the franchise, and if I was to come here, how does he see me fitting in? Do we think it'd be a plus or do we think it'd be a negative? Because I understand my personality and what comes with me, sometimes it could be a negative... It wasn't just one conversation. But I think our relationship, when I broke a lot of the teams down, when I broke a lot of the franchises down that I could possibly play for, he was one of the main deciding factors."
Now, Maxey has a tremendous opportunity ahead of him. He first emerged as a star in the making playing a hybrid role of sorts, starring on and off the ball alongside Embiid and James Harden. Then Harden forced his way out as Sixers head coach Nick Nurse arrived. Nurse has emboldened Maxey to play on the ball as much as possible, and take as many shots as he can, because that is what the team's rosters have mandated.
At the end of last season, Maxey expressed a desire to get off the ball some again. His most efficient campaigns have come when he has not been tasked with a gargantuan on-ball workload. So, the entrances of another high-volume scorer in Brown and an elite table-setter in James should do him a whole lot of good.
"I think I'm pretty comfortable playing in any type of situation at this point in my career. I've played in so many different – under so many different circumstances. Our roster this year really creates the ability for myself to get out in transition a little bit more," Maxey said. "It creates the ability for – I don't always have to come back and bring the ball up. You know, we got Bron, JB, [Joel Embiid] can bring it up, VJ [Edgecombe] can, Anfernee [Simons], LaBaron [Philon Jr.] – I mean, the list goes on and on of guys who can bring the ball up. So I think that is the opportunity that this roster presents: for me to play off the ball a little bit more, more catch-and-shoot. I'll still play on the ball, of course, playing ball screens and in different actions like that. But for me to be able to play off the ball, get some catch-and-shoots, come off some screens, come off some handoffs, get out in transition, I think it’ll be good for our team."
Do not get it twisted: Maxey will have the ball in his hands a lot throughout the season. Brown is not a playmaker and James will likely miss time throughout the year. But the makeup of this roster lends itself to Maxey thriving off the ball. For him, it will be a welcomed change.
MORE: Oral history of the day rookie Maxey began evolving into Sixers' leader
A common refrain among skeptics of what the Sixers built during the offseason: Edgecombe is 21 years old, arguably the most important member of the organization moving forward, and after a tremendous rookie season in which he was constantly empowered to play through mistakes and get better, he is going to be a fifth option. But James does not see this situation in the way others do.
"I've been hearing things are going to change for him. I don't understand why things would change for him," James said. "I think with his dynamic – him being able to get out in transition, attack defenses before defenses set, his ability in the half-court situation where we're able to attract multiple eyes and he's able to catch it on a catch-and-go or [against an] off-balance defense, I don't think his role should change."
Edgecombe, predictably, is not concerned about this dynamic. He casually discusses the importance of winning whenever asked about his individual usage, and that is not going to change.
On this team, Edgecombe's primary role will probably be defending high-caliber guards at the point of attack. But will there be times for him to run backup point guard? Will there be pockets of games during which he can hunt his own shots in the mid-range again? He would be better off if the answers to both questions are a simple "yes," but Edgecombe's long-term development is no longer the sole priority. The Sixers have to chase wins at every turn – even if they should be expected to earn more of them than in recent years.
MORE: Best and worst possible outcomes for Edgecombe in 2026-27
Brown is, in many ways, the most interesting piece of this puzzle. Maxey, Edgecombe, James and Embiid all have histories of offensive success in multiple, distinct roles. Brown, meanwhile, has become a five-time All-Star on the back of his self-created scoring. Brown can get himself a shot whenever he wants; that ability to usurp massive volume easily is what mattered most to the 56-win Boston Celtics a season ago.
But this team, with this many high-level offensive players, does not necessarily need an innings-eating scorer. It prompts a lot of questions: will Brown's middling efficiency skyrocket as he is asked to take many fewer difficult looks, or are those tough shots in his DNA? Perhaps most importantly: when the Sixers have their projected starting lineup on the floor, what is Brown going to be asked to do offensively if not serve as a high-volume, on-ball scorer? Are there off-ball skills they believe can be tapped into in time, or will Brown's ball-dominant nature be catered to? How Nurse crafts Brown's role will be a fascinating subplot early on in the season.
The Sixers need as many basketball chameleons as possible to accomplish what everyone here has set out to get done. It is easier to imagine Maxey, Edgecombe, James and Embiid altering their games and approaches to fit a new-look roster than it is to envision Brown doing so. Perhaps the Sixers see avenues for Brown to make real changes to his offensive repertoire in his age-30 season. Perhaps they see him as this team's go-to scorer and end-of-game closer. Time will tell.
For now, Maxey said, Brown has been "talking about being a defensive monster this year." Anfernee Simons said Brown was a top-two two-way player in the entire league. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP said it must be a collective approach.
"I think anchoring defense is important for all of us. I think that should be [where] we hang our hats as a team," Brown said. "I think offensively, we've got a lot of firepower. But we've got to hold each other accountable on defense. So I'm looking forward to that. I'm looking forward to that challenge. But it's going to take time. It's going to take familiarity, getting used to the defensive systems and calls."
MORE: After 'crazy transition,' Jaylen Brown ready to win with Sixers
James is singular within the NBA in his global appeal. And so it is simply worth acknowledging, perhaps one final time before the focus shifts fully to basketball, that James' arrival has turned the Sixers – the Sixers – into a team with massive international appeal, as many national television games as any in the NBA, and as much intrigue, too.
If the massive swarm of local and national reporters at Media Day was any indication, the amount of attention this team will draw is unlike anything just about anyone involved has experienced before – other than James.
"I understand my personality and what comes with me," James said, and even in the twilight of his career, he is the draw. He is one of the most famous people alive, and his presence creates a massive spotlight on the entire environment around him. It will raise the bar dramatically for the Sixers.
From James' co-stars to his younger teammates yet to face serious NBA pressure, to Sixers coaches executives, expectations will never be higher. How an organization often chided for its missteps handles this dynamic will be one of many critical storylines to follow during the season.
Of course, James is a basketball player first, and the court is where he will have a chance to etch himself as a Philadelphia legend. He is no longer the individual driver of NBA wins he once was; he can be a major part of a Sixers championship run but there are limits to what any soon-to-be 42-year-old can do on their own.
Ultimately, only one player has to bring something resembling their best for these Sixers to reach the mountaintop...
MORE: LeBron explains his decision to join Sixers at Media Day
The Sixers had a miraculous, historic offseason, gave Embiid a more talented supporting cast than he has ever had before by far, finally accomplishing the tasks of building a team less reliant on Embiid to get by from game to game. The summer was the first ever in which Embiid was a background figure within Sixers matters.
And, after all that, the Sixers' championship aspirations are still reliant on Embiid's dominance and availability.
While the Sixers' summer fireworks were as loud as can be, Embiid was silent all offseason. He never commented on the additions of Brown or James. Embiid never indicated how he was feeling, physically or mentally – even as the team around him transformed into one that must only resemble the Sixers teams from his wildest dreams.
On Monday, though, Embiid – perhaps predictably – opted to joke. He denied having recruited James in any capacity. He said that he "gained a lot of weight," despite his appearance indicating that is certainly not true. Embiid did not want to open up much.
When given the chance to do so during the summer, Sixers officials tried to speak for Embiid, repeatedly pointing out that this was his first healthy offseason in years. Embiid spent the summer working on his game, not rehabbing an injury or ailment of some sort. Embiid has played 39, 18 and 38 games over the last three regular seasons. The belief is that this summer of work will set him up to be more available for his team moving forward.
"Everybody's on the same page," Embiid said. "Going into the year, I want to play as much as possible. We've got a plan, we've got to executive it. The plan is to make sure I stay healthy and then be at my beast when we get to that time. So whatever way we get there, we've got to execute it. But I'm excited. Obviously new team, new guys, lots of talent. So it's just about taking it day by day. There's going to be ups and downs during the season. So you just want to make sure that you learn from those downs and keep growing and keep learning, on and off the court."
MORE: Does Embiid need to change his game to win a ring?
