Philadelphia is 4-1, seeded second, and hosts New York on October 30 on Prime Video. Some of the numbers say the start is real, and others say it is being held up by too few people.
Is a plus-3.3 net rating proof this team is good?
It proves the Sixers have outscored people. It does not prove they will keep doing it. The offensive rating is 106.5 and the defensive rating is 103.3, so the winning has come on the defensive end. That is the surprise for a roster built on four scorers. Five games can tilt fast, and the 93-106 loss to Detroit already showed how quickly this offense stalls.
Is Tyrese Maxey carrying too much?
Yes, and his minutes show it. He is scoring 28.4 points in 37.5 minutes, the heaviest load on the team, while shooting 32.4 percent from three. In Indiana he scored 17 of his 27 in the fourth quarter and closed the game at the line. That works in October. With LeBron James at 41 and Embiid's heel already on this year's injury list, 37.5 a night is a lot to ask of him.
Can Embiid and James win without a jumper?
So far, yes. They are shooting 17.6 and 23.1 percent from three and are making up for it elsewhere. Embiid is at 21.5 points and 10.0 rebounds, and James is at 6.8 assists. In Indiana, James had 10 assists and zero turnovers. The cost is spacing: Gina Mizell of the Inquirer noted the Sixers lived on long twos early. At 40.9 percent, Brown has to be the outlet.
Is the bench finally a weapon?
One night does not make it one. Anfernee Simons went 6-of-10 from three for 20 points and a team-best plus-14, but he is still at 8.8 points and 35.5 percent from three across five games. In Indiana the bench scored 24 to the starters' 89, and most of that was Simons. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was plus-7 in 21 minutes. Until a second reserve starts scoring, the starters keep carrying it.
Does the $206.6M payroll box them in?
It does. Philadelphia is above the $200.4M luxury tax line, with Embiid at $58.1M, Brown at $57.1M and Maxey at $40.8M. Hukporti's Achilles is projected to keep him out until October 2027, and Liberty Ballers' Bryan Toporek wrote about how a disabled player exception could help. Barlow and Fall are both projected back November 4, so the frontcourt stays thin for New York and for Charlotte the next night.
What is the 76ers' record to start the 2026-27 season?
Philadelphia is 4-1 and seeded second in the East. Its only loss was 93-106 to Detroit.
Who leads the 76ers in scoring?
Tyrese Maxey leads at 28.4 points per game through five games. Jaylen Brown is second at 20.6.
