The unexpected blockbuster trade the Philadelphia 76ers managed to pull off for Jaylen Brown was a highly acclaimed one the moment it hit the newsstands. After all, the team was able to send away an aging star in Paul George and a non-critical stash of draft picks for someone who was in the MVP conversation this past season. There were immediate concerns about the team not having enough touches to cater to all their stars, but the 2024 Finals MVP quickly silenced those doubts.
Brown had just wrapped up his introductory press conference for the 76ers, and one member of the media asked him if there are "enough basketballs to go around" on the team. The five-time All-Star responded by doubling down on his willingness to sacrifice for the squad, noting that awards no longer faze him and that he is all in on winning a championship with the team next season.
Jaylen Brown immediately shoots down the biggest concern around the 76ers right now
Between Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Brown, and LeBron James, the 76ers have four players who can be No. 1 options on different teams. All of them averaged north of 20 points last season, and that does not even factor in VJ Edgecombe, who is poised to have a higher slot on the team's pecking order following his splendid rookie campaign.
Concerns about touches in that regard are pretty valid and ripe for actual discourse. The 76ers will have to do a lot of optimization on the offensive end to keep everyone happy, but with Brown already indicating that his outlook on the squad will not depend on touches or numbers. That is already a buy-in the team will look to build on.
Everyone will get to have their fair share of the scoring load, but the attendant cost is everyone likewise having to deal with the implied concessions of an egalitarian attack on the offensive end. The 76ers have a surplus of talent on offense, and for that to work, sacrifices are inevitable and necessary.
Fortunately, even at this early juncture, the team's new faces and key holdovers seem to be committed to setting aside their individual goals for the bigger picture, which is to snap the franchise's title drought which has been going on for more than four decades. Now, all eyes will be on them and how they intend to maximize their blitzkrieg of star power to finally take home the Larry O'Brien trophy next year.
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