Philadelphia opens its season at the Knicks tonight with four stars who have never shared a regular-season floor and an injury report that is already six names long. Whether Embiid, Brown, Maxey and James can coexist is the question that decides everything else about this year.
Is there enough ball for four scorers?
Only on paper. Brown averaged 28.7 points last season, Maxey 28.3 on 38.0 minutes a night, Embiid 26.9 in his 38 appearances, and James 20.9 with 7.2 assists. That is four players used to the ball in their hands. Nurse has not hidden the uncertainty: the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the Sixers admit it is hard to know what to expect from the big five. Edgecombe, 16.0 points as a rookie, is the fifth man waiting for leftovers.
Is health the real question, not shots?
Yes, and the first injury report says so. Embiid played 38 games last season. James is 41 and played 60. Simons has carried a hamstring tag since October 12 with no clearance. Bona has been listed with a foot problem since September 17. Barlow is out with a back injury, Dean Wade is nursing an ankle, and Hukporti's right Achilles carries an estimated return of October 2027. The stars are the plan. The depth behind them is already thinning.
Does a 1-3 preseason mean anything?
Less than the scoreboard suggests, but not nothing. Philadelphia beat the Knicks 120-97 on October 5, then lost 108-114 in Brooklyn, 106-144 in Boston and 120-125 to the Celtics at home on October 16, with Embiid at 27 and Maxey at 22 in that last one. The Boston blowout is the one to file away. That team took Paul George and two firsts from Philadelphia and still looks like the measuring stick.
Is tonight's opponent the right test?
It is the test. New York went 53-29 last season with a plus-6.4 net rating, against Philadelphia's minus-0.1 and 45-37. Brunson averaged 26.0 points, Towns 20.1 and 11.9 rebounds. The Knicks also swept the Sixers in the second round last May, the series that got Daryl Morey fired. Both teams come in rested, Philadelphia on three days off, New York on four. No excuses on either side.
How long does ownership pay for this?
Longer than one preseason, shorter than fans assume. Payroll is $206.6 million against a $200.4 million tax line. Embiid makes $58.1 million and Brown $57.1 million, James just $8 million over two years. The front office still owns its 2027 and 2030 firsts, a protected 2028 first and a 2029 swap, so a midseason fix is possible. But the Brown trade already spent two firsts and two seconds. The window is this year.
Who do the 76ers play in their 2026-27 season opener?
Philadelphia opens at the New York Knicks on October 20, with the game on NBC and Peacock. The Sixers beat New York 120-97 in the preseason on October 5.
Who is out for the 76ers opener against the Knicks?
Dominick Barlow is out with a back injury and will be reevaluated in two weeks, Ariel Hukporti is out with a right Achilles injury, and Tacko Fall is out with a hip problem. Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade and Adem Bona are on the report but have not been ruled out.
