July 28, 2026
Bill Streicher/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
LeBron James and Joel Embiid are officially teammates.
Of the massive swarm of basketball fans whose rooting interests are tied to LeBron James – the people whose Sixers fandom just dates back to Friday – how many would recognize Dominick Barlow?
Longtime Sixers fans – or at least those around for 2025-26 – know about the intricacies of Barlow's game after watching him start at power forward in 59 of his 71 appearances last season.
This is just one example of the unusual dichotomy created by James' arrival: some Sixers fans have spent decades waiting to root for a generational player like this; others have only ever known this life.
What should new Sixers fans know about the supporting cast James is inheriting in Philadelphia? Consider this a Sixers crash course:
Joel Embiid is a former NBA MVP, one of the more visible players of the last decade in the NBA. As fans around the league know, Embiid's infamous injury issues have been more significant in recent seasons. Embiid only played 19 games in a nightmarish 2024-25 season; after his workload was managed very carefully early on last season he turned into a dominant, game-breaking force again in January.
Joel Embiid in the Sixers' win over Sacramento on Thursday:
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 30, 2026
37 points (13-21 FG, 1-2 3P, 10-13 FT)
8 assists
5 rebounds
All of Embiid's baskets and assists: pic.twitter.com/bjFM10ERE1
Embiid's injury issues were on and off for the remainder of the season, including an emergency appendectomy in early April. It only took him two weeks and change to get back on the floor, at which point he flipped a series on its head and led a 3-1 comeback over Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics. Embiid's mobility is a far cry from what it used to be, which has made him a vulnerable perimeter defender and less explosive off the dribble. But his power game is still there.
VJ Edgecombe grew up watching James play on the Miami Heat; that team with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh was always on television in The Bahamas. The story of his brilliant rookie season was that he displayed far more ball skills than anyone anticipated – he was a capable on-ball scorer and playmaker – but his most impressive feats came as a role player. Edgecombe made major improvements as a spot-up three-point shooter, perimeter defender and transition scorer. All of that, of course, should help him fit around the four All-Stars he now shares a starting lineup with.
A really nice cut from VJ Edgecombe, a great pass from Paul George and Edgecombe explodes into Karl-Anthony Towns' chest to finish at the rim: pic.twitter.com/rs5qrLddav
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 4, 2026
Then there is Tyrese Maxey, the fellow Klutch Sports client with a close relationship with James. Maxey grew up idolizing Wade; once James went to Miami he became a fan. Dating back to Maxey's pre-draft process in 2020, he has enjoyed summer workouts with James. Stylistically, Maxey and James make for a beautiful offensive fit. Maxey has handled one of the highest usage rates in the NBA in recent years, but he has always been better off when playing on and off the ball. The most efficient period of Maxey's career came alongside James Harden, even though he was far from the player then that he is now.
Maxey has a real case as the fastest player in the NBA. What is unassailable: no player in the NBA has a combination of speed and pull-up shooting as dynamic as his. He can score from everywhere and anywhere on the floor:
Tyrese Maxey scored 36 points in the Sixers' win over Houston on Thursday, including 26 in the second half + overtime.
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 23, 2026
All 15 of Maxey's made baskets: pic.twitter.com/oPgGo7EIXU
The last thing worth knowing about Maxey: in every single season of his NBA career save for one, he has been noticeably better than in the year before. He is a special worker.
MORE: How Maxey grew from intriguing rookie to franchise cornerstone
Nurse has been Sixers head coach for three seasons, and it has been a disappointing tenure so far. Nurse's time with the Toronto Raptors earned him the reputation of a creative, outside-the-box thinker, but many Sixers fans have argued that unorthodox thinking has rarely been evident in Philadelphia.
To be fair, Nurse has almost never had a full roster available. Embiid's availability worsened immediately upon Nurse's arrival. Paul George played in 78 games in two years with the Sixers. Two years ago, even Maxey – as durable of a player as the Sixers have had in many years, capable of logging gigantic minutes totals and appearing unaffected by fatigue – missed 30 games. While Nurse has had an uninspiring tenure so far, even his most ardent detractors would admit he has been dealt an extremely difficult hand.
The most common criticisms of Nurse over the last three years: being too reliant on veterans over younger players and using his stars for too many minutes during the regular season (Maxey led the NBA in minutes per game last season at 38.0, and he averaged 40.0 minutes per game in the first 32 games of the season).
Nurse, it should be noted, is represented by Klutch Sports.
SIXERS FILM STUDIES
Jaylen Brown's strengths | Jaylen Brown's weaknesses
Anfernee Simons | Dean Wade | Ariel Hukporti
The Sixers will be relying on quite a few reserves that fans focused on the Los Angeles Lakers over the last eight years will not be familiar with. Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Ariel Hukporti and Labaron Philon Jr. are newcomers, but this bench features plenty of holdovers from last year's Sixers team.
Barlow was signed to a two-way contract last summer after three years of NBA experience. His showings in training camp and preseason impressed Nurse so much that he earned the starting power forward job before opening night. Barlow ended up a starter for the majority of the season, as the Sixers found his offensive rebounding, defensive versatility and strong feel for the game to be extremely valuable:
Every time Dominick Barlow has grabbed an offensive rebound and immediately collected an assist as a member of the Sixers: pic.twitter.com/r5ooL9xdBU
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) February 8, 2026
Barlow is a terrific cutter, and his skill set might as well have been designed in a lab to fit alongside Embiid:
With Dominick Barlow starting with Joel Embiid again:
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) March 29, 2026
I had a long chat with Barlow after Wednesday's Sixers win about how Embiid makes his life easier, the ways he tries to return the favor and cutting. Dom went long. I put a ton of examples over the audio. Fun IMO!
VOLUME ON: pic.twitter.com/ZbHKN25g0G
Hukporti will compete with Adem Bona for the Sixers' backup center spot – right now the clear weakness on this depth chart. Bona is entering a critical third NBA season. He is as athletic as it gets at the five, with a motor that never stops. He has been one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA since being drafted at No. 41 overall in 2024, but is slight for a center.
That has made Bona somewhat of a weak link on the defensive glass, where the Sixers have routinely struggled. Bona has bad hands, a point of frustration with Sixers fans. But his primary issue: decision-making. Bona is prone to unforced errors and needless personals that put him in foul trouble. Rooting for Bona will prompt a roller coaster of emotions, but the Sixers are believers in his upside.
Adem Bona did not attempt a single field goal in 25:36 of action in the Sixers' win over Memphis on Tuesday, but he completely flipped the energy of the game in his team's direction. The Sixers found some flashes of promise playing Bona and Joel Embiid together: pic.twitter.com/Zt4WAajf0l
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) December 31, 2025
James' arrival certifies that Justin Edwards will start the season out of the rotation, but he could factor into the equation when James is sidelined or other players go down. A former five-star recruit, Edwards went to Kentucky and had a miserable season. He went undrafted, then signed a two-way contract for his hometown Sixers. Midway through his rookie season, Nurse gave spot minutes to a player he really believed in. Edwards has since become a trusted two-way wing, willing and versatile on the defensive end with a quick three-point release and even quicker decision-making off the catch:
On 14 different occasions this season, Justin Edwards has been in the Sixers' rotation and made a three-pointer on his first shot attempt of a game: pic.twitter.com/Pk3S2V2ApL
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) March 14, 2026
Edwards has not quite put it all together yet, but the makings of a quality two-way rotation wing are there, and Nurse is a real believer in the makeup. Edwards is also a Klutch Sports client.
The Sixers' other Klutch Sports client is Jabari Walker, a bruising forward. Like Barlow, Walker went from two-way signee to standard roster member last year, and Nurse has frequently referred to him as the team's best rebounder – high praise considering Andre Drummond's presence on last season's team. Walker does not have any jaw-dropping abilities, but he is a consistent force on the glass and a strong, physical defender. The Sixers insist Walker is a good shooter; he has yet to prove them right on a large scale. But his mechanics look solid and he started shooting with more confidence last season.
Jabari Walker had his best shooting/scoring and hustle/rebounding game on the same night Wednesday as he led the Sixers to a win over the Utah Jazz. Walker finished with 22 points (4-7 3P) and 10 boards.
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) March 5, 2026
A terrific highlight reel for Walker in his second straight 20-point game: pic.twitter.com/VTbjGTbcuL
SIXERS SIGN LEBRON JAMES
James' decision | Projecting Sixers' rotation | James' impact, on and off the court
