Philadelphia is 3-1 and second in the East after Detroit beat it wire to wire without Embiid. The franchise's history has a few useful reference points, and none of them says four games settle anything.
Does 3-1 tell us anything the 1967 team didn't already say?
Start with scale. The 1967 champions, with Wilt Chamberlain, Billy Cunningham and Hal Greer under Alex Hannum, opened 46-4 and finished 68-13, then the best record in league history. This team is four games old. A 62-20 pace is arithmetic, not a forecast, and last year's group went 45-37. Beat the Pacers and Knicks this week, then we can talk trajectory.
Why did Sunday feel like the old Embiid problem?
Detroit led for the entire game: 21 at its biggest, zero lead changes, and Philadelphia never got in front. Embiid sat, and so did Walker, Barlow, Hukporti and Fall, so Adem Bona carried the rebounding with 13 and played 25 minutes. Embiid played only 38 games last season. Sunday's absences are not a trend yet, but a 21-point hole is a number, not a mood.
Is Detroit simply a bad matchup for this franchise?
History says be careful. In 1955 the Syracuse Nationals won their first title by beating the Fort Wayne Pistons in seven games, on a George King free throw and steal. Sunday's Pistons were Cade Cunningham with 26 points and 8 assists, plus Duncan Robinson with 21 on 5-of-9 from three. The rematch is Nov. 4 in Detroit, and Embiid is Day-To-Day with Oct. 28 pencilled in.
What does this week's schedule need to show?
Wednesday at Indiana, then the Knicks on Oct. 30 in the Emirates NBA Cup. Philadelphia won at New York 106-100 on Oct. 20, and this franchise beat the Knicks 127-116 on this date in 1979. It lost there 99-112 on this date in 2021. New York's second-round sweep in May led to Daryl Morey's firing. A Friday win answers more than any pace projection.
What is the 76ers' record in 2026-27?
Philadelphia is 3-1 and second in the East after a 106-93 loss to Detroit on Oct. 25. Its next game is Oct. 28 at Indiana.
When is Joel Embiid expected back for the 76ers?
Embiid is listed Day-To-Day with a heel issue and an Oct. 28 estimated return, the date of the game at Indiana. He missed the loss to Detroit.
