LeBron James and Jaylen Brown play their first games as Philadelphia 76ers tonight, when the Sixers visit the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. And according to ClutchPoints’ Steve Silverman, the thing most likely to hold this loaded roster back isn’t talent. It’s time.
Philly’s summer was wild. The Sixers added a 41-year-old LeBron and pulled Brown out of Boston in a trade that sent Paul George and draft picks to the Celtics. They join Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe under Nick Nurse. That’s a starting five that looks like a video game.
Silverman’s argument: chemistry and familiarity don’t happen overnight, and they might take longer than one season. He points to Brown possibly wanting the kind of top-guy recognition Jayson Tatum got in Boston, LeBron “nearing the end,” and a stacked East with the Knicks, Celtics, Pistons and Cavaliers all in the way.
The IAHHM Take
We’ve seen this movie before. Big names on paper don’t always mean a ring in year one. But don’t sleep on how this group already showed some grit last spring. Philly came back from a 3-1 hole to knock out Boston in the first round, then got swept by New York, the team that went on to win the franchise’s first title in 53 years.
That’s why tonight matters more than a normal opener. LeBron has spent two decades making new rooms work, from Cleveland to Miami to L.A. The real swing piece is Brown. If he’s cool being a 1B next to Embiid and Maxey, with LeBron running the show in big moments, this thing can come together faster than people think. If not, the noise starts by Christmas.
The Knicks are also walking into this one with something to prove as the hunted. If you missed it, we broke down how the Cavs are retooling after getting swept by New York.
So be real: is this Sixers group a year-one title team, or a year-two problem? Tell us below.
Source: ClutchPoints. Additional reporting: AP via Local10, NBC Sports Boston.
