So, the Philadelphia 76ers won the LeBron James free agency sweepstakes. All is well, everyone is happy, and the 76ers will win the NBA Finals with their superteam, right?
Not exactly. While on paper, the 76ers have one of, if not the best, starting five in the NBA, they still have to go out and prove it. Plus, there’s still a chance that all of this could go horribly wrong.
NBA Analyst Outlines 76ers’ ‘Worst-Case Scenario’
The 76ers were already one of the NBA’s best teams before the trade for Brown. Yet, there’s a reason this group has struggled to reach the promised land. Injuries have played a major factor for Sixers teams of the past, and James isn’t exactly a spring chicken.
Recently, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons went on his podcast and argued that there’s a lot of risk involved with the 2026 76ers.
“I think this has the most variables every which way,” Simmons said. “There’s 2012 Lakers potential where this looks awesome on paper, but you have LeBron who’s 41, god only knows when he’s going to break down. Embiid never plays. Jaylen Brown on a new team trying to fit his way. There’s an unhappy version of this too.”
Bill Simmons thinks there’s a chance the Sixers could be the 2012 Lakers:
“I think this has the most variables every which way. There’s 2012 Lakers potential where this looks awesome on paper but you have LeBron who’s 41, god only knows when he’s going to break down. Embiid… pic.twitter.com/XHLBNBV5Qv
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) July 25, 2026
The 2012 Lakers did have what looked to be a dominant starting five on paper. It was Derek Fisher at point, Kobe Bryant at the two-guard, Metta World Peace on the wing, Pau Gasol at power forward, and Andrew Bynum standing tall in the middle. Just like they have in Philadelphia, four of those Lakers were All-Stars, and Edgecombe has the potential to make it five.
By the way, those Lakers finished in first place in the Pacific Division with a 41-25 record. But they got whooped in the Western Conference Semifinals by the Oklahoma City Thunder in just five games.
Others, like ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, suggested that the 76ers have to find a way to strike a balance, ensuring the newly acquired Brown is “comfortable” in Philadelphia. In other words, Simmons isn’t alone with his criticism.
As for James breaking down? He averaged 33.2 minutes per game across 60 starts last season. He’s never had a season in which he played fewer than 45 games; James has been as durable as they come.
Meanwhile, Embiid, despite being a former NBA MVP, does have the injury-prone label. He’s combined to play just 96 out of a possible 246 regular-season games in the past three years.
As for Brown, it’s true. Aside from his previous stops before entering the NBA as the third overall pick in 2016, he’s never had to switch teams. Yet, as one of the league’s best players, one would think that wouldn’t be a significant hurdle to overcome.
Still, when adding it all up, Simmons says 76ers fans shouldn’t be so quick to crown themselves champions. They still have to play the games.
