No other team in the NBA underwent the transformation that the Philadelphia Sixers did this offseason. The Jaylen Brown trade was enough of a shock factor, and that was multiplied by a million when LeBron James chose Philly. Their championship outlook looks a lot different than it did in May, and if they are the last team standing next June, it will mark a first in James' career.
As noted by Tim MacMahon in ESPN's latest projection piece about who will make it out of each conference and who will win the NBA Finals (Philadelphia had the fourth-most votes), LeBron's history could work against the Sixers:
Speaking of long title droughts, the Sixers' splashy summer generated hope that Philadelphia could soon celebrate its first NBA championship since 1983. It's worth noting, however, that James has won a title in the second season, not the first, the past three times he changed teams.
Of course, that doesn't mean that Philadelphia can't or won't win it all with James in his first season in town. Look at the Sixers' roster. They have the mix of talent, experience, depth, and firepower to propel them to the finals, and even one step past that.
LeBron can win a title in first season in Philly
What's true is that the Sixers will go through an adjustment period, not just getting used to playing with LeBron, which will be a factor, but learning how to put all of their pieces together.
Don't expect them to come out firing right out of the gate. It's a long 82-game season. That doesn't mean they'll need all 82 games to figure things out, but rather that they'll have the time to do so, and what matters, of course, is what form they're in during the postseason.
You can guarantee that opposing teams won't want to run into a Maxey-Edgecombe-Brown-James-Embiid starting lineup in the playoffs, a lineup that will be one of the best, if not the best, in the league, if they can stay healthy enough.
It helps, too, that they'll have Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope coming off the bench as experienced veterans. Then there's Labaron Philon Jr., who is probably the luckiest rookie in the NBA because of who he gets to learn from.
As mentioned, health will be a factor, which is the case for every contender, but even more so for the Sixers. Embiid's history is concerning (he sure looks good right now, though), and LeBron will turn 42 in December, so load management will be part of Philadelphia's regular-season strategy. And it could pay off, beginning in April.
The Sixers wouldn't be opposed to winning a championship with LeBron next season, if things go as they did with the Heat, Cavaliers (in his second stint), and the Lakers. It doesn't have to happen this season, as James is signed for two years (he has a $4 million player option), but hey, might as well go for it, right?
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