After acquiring LeBron James, expectations have never been higher for the Philadelphia 76ers. But just how far can they go?

On paper, the Sixers have a legitimate case for the NBA’s best starting five. James’s signing really helped everything slot into place. The Sixers needed a power forward who could pass, and with the offensive firepower already on the roster, James is in a lower-usage role that should allow him to thrive in what may be the final years of his career.

When the regular season finally arrives, as with every Sixers season of the past decade, it will come down to health. And while that may be a formality, every championship team needs a certain amount of injury luck. It is a storyline that has clouded the Sixers organization for the entire Process Era, and Joel Embiid and LeBron James are not getting any younger.

Since bringing in Mike Gansey, he and Bob Myers have amassed so much talent with the skill sets to play a versatile brand of basketball fit for the regular and postseason.

Embiid and LeBron are going to miss time during the regular season, but the team has Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe to help pile up wins and solidify their place near the top of the East standings. The additions of Dean Wade, who moves to the bench with James’ arrival, and Anfernee Simons strengthen the second unit, giving the team even more support.

Getting one or both of Embiid and James on the court with the starters will be important, but as long as they are not hampered with new injuries and are still able to participate between games and practice with the team, they should be able to build the chemistry they’ll need by the playoffs. 

Assuming good health in the playoffs, there is no reason to believe the Sixers cannot compete for a championship. They’re going to be a bear to defend, even for the best units in the league. LeBron James showed last season against the Houston Rockets that he is still an elite playoff performer when the game slows down and he is able to dissect opposing defenses in the half court like only he and a handful of other people in the league can do.

When they can get out and run, everybody except Embiid is ultra-effective in transition, and they can play that game with speed, power, and athleticism. Even if LeBron defers the ball down the stretch of close playoff games, they still have three guys they can count on to deliver buckets when they are needed most.

One place where they are going to need to find their footing is on the defensive end. Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe should be a dependable tandem on the wings, and Maxey has worked his way to respectability on that end of the court. But the Sixers just saw the New York Knicks take advantage of Embiid’s slow-footedness and had them in the blender for four straight games en route to a sweep in the Eastern Semifinals. Embiid is no longer the rim defender he once was, so that problem will still be there. LeBron has to pace himself considerably at this point in his career, and “taking off” defensive possessions is just par for the course when providing everything else he is already expected to.

Teams like the Knicks, Spurs, Thunder, and the like will have mapped out ways they can go at the Sixers and should feel confident that they can do it consistently with the lineup as currently constructed. But the Sixers have ways they can go at every team regardless of personnel, pace, or scheme, and that makes them a threat to beat anyone en route to LeBron’s hopeful fifth NBA Championship.

MORE: Meet the artist behind Philadelphia’s viral LeBron James mural

Keywords

Philadelphia 76ers,

Sixers,

LeBron James,

Joel Embiid,

Tyrese Maxey,

Jaylen Brown,

VJ Edgecombe,

Mike Gansey,

NBA,

NBA Championship