While the Philadelphia 76ers still have to prove a lot in 2026-2027, their offseason has shot them up the ranks when it comes to their starting five.
Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz recently ranked all 30 NBA teams' starting fives heading into the new season. Without LeBron James, they would've been top five, the NBA writer admitted. But with the former Los Angeles Lakers star, there's no question they are the best, according to the list.
The Sixers shoot to the top
"Embiid's knee health will be an issue. The shooting in this five is questionable and there's no elite defenders in this group," Swartz wrote. "However, these starters have a whopping 36 All-Star appearances (22 by James alone), five MVP awards and five Finals MVP awards between them. That's a ton of hardware."
There's just too much star power to ignore. And while some of the names are either leaving--or have exited their primes--they were all extremely productive just last season.
In case you need a reminder...
Joel Embiid and LeBron James will be the question marks in this case. Embiid just played his age-31 season and has had so many setbacks throughout his career, it's hard to keep count. Yet, when he's healthy, he's often unstoppable.
Despite playing in just 38 games last year, Embiid's averages of 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists had many NBA fans saying the star center was snubbed from the game. Even if you don't agree with the snub notion, the numbers still can't be overlooked for the former MVP.
Then, there's LeBron James, who did make the All-Star Game for the Western Conference. His situation was slightly different, as many suggested he got in by default due to the fact that he's been the face of the league since 2003, but again, his numbers can't be ignored.
LeBron appeared in 60 games during the 2025-2026 season. He produced 20.9 points per game, while shooting 51.3% from the field. He also produced 7.2 assists per game and came down with 6.1 rebounds per game.
Philly's biggest competitors on paper
The champions (New York Knicks) popped up on the list at No. 3. They won't see any changes for their starting lineup, so it's hard to deny that they'll be strong going into the new basketball year.
The next Eastern Conference contender on the list is the Indiana Pacers at No. 4. After missing Tyrese Haliburton for the season, the Pacers are expected to shoot back up the ranks. The impressive guard re-enters the lineup with the addition of Ivica Zubac. From New York and Indiana, it's a fall down to No. 7 for the East, where the Cleveland Cavaliers sit. The Atlanta Hawks (No.8) and the Toronto Raptors (No. 10) fill out the rest of the top 10 when it comes to the Sixers' conference.
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