Expectations are high for the Philadelphia 76ers this year. A star-studded roster creates lofty expectations, and nobody from the NBA fraternity will expect anything less than a championship from this franchise. However, there is more to winning titles than constructing a 'super team', and the Sixers will need a lot of dominoes to fall in their favor if they wish to reach eternal glory.
Joel Embiid must stay healthy
Regardless of who the 76ers sign to their roster, Joel Embiid will always be a star who can move the needle in their championship hopes -- if healthy. Even at 70% match fitness, Embiid has repeatedly proven himself an offensive powerhouse who can overwhelm even the NBA's best defenders.
Nevertheless, the same question marks will surround Embiid this season. Can he stay healthy for a prolonged period of time? Recent evidence suggests that it isn't possible. The 32-year-old hasn't recorded more than 60 games in three years. In fact, Embiid has only played in 57 regular-season games over the last two seasons.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse will have the luxury of staggering Embiid's minutes during the upcoming campaign, which could be a blessing for the franchise come postseason time. With career averages of 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game, Embiid has proven that he will forever be Philadelphia's offensive talisman.
76ers need their secondary unit to be firing on all cylinders
In recent times, the Philadelphia 76ers have heavily relied on Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to drag the team to victory. With their superstars on the bench, the Sixers often abandoned all momentum, allowing the opposition to creep back into the game.
During the 2025-26 NBA regular season, Philadelphia ranked 27th in bench scoring -- averaging just 32.4 points per game. Most of those points were provided by Quentin Grimes (13.4 per game), who has now taken his talents to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Under Mike Gansey's tutelage, Philadelphia has a vastly deeper roster that has the potential to address this problem quickly. Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade have proven throughout their careers that they are more than capable of making a positive impact even when their roles are limited.
Simons can provide the 76ers with a much-needed scoring punch from the bench. Last season, the 27-year-old averaged 14.3 points per game, while shooting 44% from the floor. In comparison, Wade averaged just 5.8 points per contest, but significantly improved the Cleveland Cavaliers' defensive standing when he was on the court.
Each player from the bench will have specific roles they must excel in, or Philadelphia can kiss goodbye to their championship ring.
Philadelphia's superstar roster must gel
The roster that Nick Nurse now has at his disposal is simply sublime. Philadelphia's head coach can unleash a mixture of championship experience, talent, and energy. Nevertheless, striking a balance between superstars with such inflated egos can be a difficult square to circle.
First and foremost, Nick Nurse must decide which of his starting lineup is going to dictate the 76ers' offense. LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey are three players who thrive with the ball in their hands, so how simple will it be for the head coach to instruct one of these stars to take a back seat?
LeBron has proven in Los Angeles that he is comfortable enough to allow other stars to take the offensive reins if that is what the coach requires. With the Boston Celtics, Brown has consistently been the bridesmaid and never the bride, and of course, Maxey is one of the most effective off-ball movers in the league.
The pieces are there to create a championship-caliber lineup, but becoming a cohesive unit is an entirely different task. Philadelphia will naturally have teething issues as the season gets underway, but how quickly can they navigate these issues and start building momentum?
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