August 31, 2026
Brad Penner/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In the Sixers debuts of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, 21-year-old VJ Edgecombe might be most important of all.
With the vast majority of their offseason work in the rearview mirror, the month of August came and went for the Sixers with the most noteworthy development being the release of their 2026-27 regular-season schedule.
As expected, the Sixers have the maximum 34 games broadcasted on national television, another signal that LeBron James' arrival has arguably made this team the most significant national attraction in the entire NBA.
James is far from the only big name set to suit up for the Sixers this year; they are viewed as legitimate championship contenders because of a starting five that rivals any other in recent NBA history in terms of talent. As the 2026-27 Sixers work through an unusual fit, each of their starters must capitalize on their chances to stand out from the rest of the group.
Kicking off the week with 5 Sixers thoughts, identifying critical matchups for each of James, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid in the season ahead:
This will be Maxey's third time playing on Christmas Day. His first two games on the NBA's marquee date have... varied.
Two seasons ago in Boston, Maxey led an underwhelming Sixers team to a road upset by playing one of the most well-rounded games of his entire NBA career. But a year before that in Miami, he played quite possibly his single worst game in six seasons in the league:
| Dec. 25, 2023 @ MIA | Dec. 25, 2024 @ BOS |
| 12 points | 33 points |
| 5 assists | 12 assists |
| 3 rebounds | 3 steals |
| 4-20 FG | 12-23 FG |
When the Sixers kick off their annual Disney on Ice trip in Los Angeles, which end of the spectrum will Maxey's performance land on?
In his first 15 games of 2024-25, Tyrese Maxey averaged 4.6 assists per game. In seven games since, he's up to 7.1 per game, including 12 to go with 33 points for the Sixers today.
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) December 26, 2024
Maxey's assists vs. Celtics by recipient:
Embiid: 4
George: 2
C. Martin: 2
Yabusele: 2
Lowry: 2 pic.twitter.com/EMisODf68g
If there was any doubt that Maxey's makeup prepares him to shine in major moments, his brilliant work in the first round of last year's playoffs erased it. Maxey torched the Boston Celtics at all three levels for seven games, and when the Sixers were suddenly on the ropes at TD Garden he came up with back-to-back buckets to seal Game 7.
All eyes will be on James as he returns to the arena he called home for eight seasons – and goes up against his own son – but Maxey, like the rest of the Sixers, will experience a significant bump in terms of national profile in the season ahead, and games like these will serve as his best chances to elevate himself into the mainstream superstar discussion.
MORE: How should Nick Nurse stagger his stars?
Edgecombe will probably be paid less attention than any Sixers starter when this team debuts at Madison Square Garden, moments after the Knicks raise an NBA championship banner for the first time in 53 years. And while he is the Sixers' fifth starter, he is a vital component to this puzzle, particularly in matchups against the defending champions.
In all likelihood, the first player to defend Jalen Brunson after his iconic Finals MVP performance will be the 21-year-old Edgecombe, who had many cracks at New York's superstar point guard last season. That included two terrific performances at Madison Square Garden, where the Sixers won both of their regular-season matchups.
VJ Edgecombe's defense on Jalen Brunson on Friday was quite possibly the most impressive feat of his NBA career so far.
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) December 20, 2025
Brunson attempted 10 field goals against Edgecombe. He made the first one. Then he missed the last nine.
Every Brunson FGA vs. Edgecombe in the Sixers' win: pic.twitter.com/NUhEhduCIr
However, the matchup between Edgecombe and Brunson will not be limited to New York's offensive possessions. With Brown and James replacing Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. in Sixers head coach Nick Nurse's starting five, Edgecombe will be the fifth option, but he will also benefit from being defended by other teams' weak links. A year ago, the Knicks tried to get away with Brunson defending Edgecombe and he simply did not let them.
Edgecombe can physically and athletically overwhelm Brunson, and he did just that time and time again until the Knicks shifted their weakest defender to the Oubre assignment.
VJ Edgecombe fights through a Karl-Anthony Towns screen and Jalen Brunson turns it over, then Edgecombe powers through Brunson rather easily to score inside: pic.twitter.com/xdw1KXbflO
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 4, 2026
Even though opening night will be the first time James or Brown dons a Sixers jersey, and that is where the focus will rightfully be, matchups against New York will now offer Edgecombe chances to pummel Brunson and force the Knicks to make difficult defensive decisions. That is part of the beauty of the Sixers' five-headed monster: there is no place to hide.
MORE: When 'the lights came on,' VJ Edgecombe marked MSG debut by meeting moment
"I have nothing but respect for the city of Boston," Brown said at his introductory press conference at a local recreation center earlier this month. "But now it's time to move forward."
Perhaps that would be easier if Brown's first regular-season game at TD Garden came a bit earlier than this. Granted, the Sixers will be in Boston for an October exhibition, but it remains to be seen which key Sixers will play throughout the team's four-game preseason slate. This is the first of two regular-season games between the Sixers and Celtics in Boston, and there is no doubt that Celtics fans are circling this game on their calendars – or that Brown is doing the same. He laughed when asked about it.
"Yeah. I'll just say – just one day at a time," Brown said. "That's all I got."
Among the many layers of Brown's return to Boston: He is far and away the most likely Sixers starter to handle the assignment of defending Jayson Tatum; Brown said he had not spoken with his running mate of nine years since being traded. If Tatum does not guard Brown, it will likely mean he is being defended by his replacement, Paul George. Either way, he will play like someone with a point to prove.
Motivation is always helpful, and Brown should not be lacking inspiration heading into his first season in Philadelphia. But being too eager can be a detriment, especially for a turnover-prone player like Brown.
The sounds of TD Garden on Jan. 21 should be fascinating. Celtics fans admire Brown and were horrified to see him traded, let alone to the Sixers. Brown has continued to express nothing but gratitude for the way he was embraced in Boston; the shots he has taken have been directed at the Celtics as an organization.
This Sixers-Celtics rivalry is intensifying significantly, though, and every game matters. How will Celtics fans respond the first time Brown hits a jumper over Tatum or throws down a transition slam?
MORE: Full 2026-27 Sixers schedule, with details, analysis and games of note
James' last game in Los Angeles came against the Thunder; Oklahoma City soundly swept the Lakers in the second round of last year's playoffs. Even after going down in a thrilling Western Conference Finals and an offseason that included multiple cost-cutting casualties, the Thunder make for the safest bet to be among the NBA's elite championship contenders.
Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins may no longer be in Oklahoma City – and that absolutely narrows the Thunder's margin for error when it comes to injury luck and underperformance – but this team still has tremendous depth, the best player in the NBA over the last two years in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the ability to morph itself into whatever team it needs to be to win any particular game.
So, why this game for James? The Sixers should be focused on their competition in the Eastern Conference, but the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are just as significant measuring sticks for any team trying to win a championship as the Knicks. Plus, James has not been his best self against Oklahoma City's elite defense over the last two years, only averaging 20.7 points with a 2-7 record between the regular season and playoffs.
Oklahoma City has the best group of guard defenders in the NBA by far and a strong interior front, which puts the focus on the forward positions. Star forward Jalen Williams missed a ton of time last season, and with Dort gone there is enormous pressure on Williams to be the team's most versatile and reliable chess piece on defense.
The Sixers have so many high-powered offensive players that they can win a lot of games without any one of them being at their absolute best. But when they face the NBA's truly elite teams, someone may prove to be the leading man. Can James, the soon-to-be 42-year-old, still be that guy?
It has often been said that Embiid's defense will be more crucial than his offense when it comes to the Sixers' success. It has never been true, but it is closer to being true now than ever before. The Sixers have so much offensive firepower, but plenty of defensive question marks to go with it.
Maxey has improved as a defensive playmaker, but is not a one-on-one stopper. Brown can be a one-on-one stopper, but is oftentimes a liability off the ball. James can turn the clock back for individual, important possessions, but largely has used the defensive end of the floor to conserve energy in recent years.
That puts a lot of pressure on Edgecombe... and Embiid, who early on last season was as much of a defensive liability as any big in the NBA. As the season went on, Embiid's mobility became just good enough to get by, and Nurse's efforts to keep him closer to the rim paid off. Before his emergency appendectomy in April, Embiid had returned to being a stout rim protector. Upon returning two and a half weeks after surgery, his mobility was so compromised that he had little ability to anchor a playoff defense.
Presumably, the makeup of this roster should enable Embiid to play fewer minutes and have those minutes be a lot lighter given his anticipated reduced workload on offense. Will that lead to more stable defensive output? The home opener against Cleveland will be a significant early test; the Cavaliers have two strong guards and two great bigs and can have a high-caliber pick-and-roll combination on the court at all times.
Cleveland finished last season second in the NBA in total dunks. Can Embiid lead a defense that gets stops against ball-handlers like Donovan Mitchell and James Harden? Can he combat the rolls and offensive rebounding of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen? If the answer proves to be yes, the Sixers will look like a much more well-rounded team.
SIXERS SIGN LEBRON JAMES
James' decision | Projecting Sixers' rotation | James' impact, on and off the court
