Can 76ers win title with LeBron James? What needs to go right, what could go wrong in Philadelphia

LeBron James has made 10 NBA Finals appearances throughout his 23-year career. Can he get to No. 11 with the Sixers? 

LeBron cited the desire to play meaningful basketball when outlining where he would choose to play next season. He clearly believes Philadelphia gives him some shot of making that 11th Finals appearance and winning his fifth ring. 

The Sixers do have an impressive array of top-end talent after a whirlwind offseason that also brought in Jaylen Brown. But did they do enough to improve upon their 45 wins and second-round exit to the Knicks last season? Here's what needs to go right for them to reach their full potential, and what could go wrong.

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How the Sixers win the NBA championship

The Sixers have enough raw talent to win an NBA championship. Joel Embiid remains the most important piece towards making that a reality. 

Embiid's health has always been shaky. He has played in only 39, 19, and 38 games over the past three seasons. Making matters worse for Philadelphia is that the depth behind him is not good. Ariel Hukporti, Adem Bona, and Johni Broome are all below-average backups. LeBron can play some small ball center in a pinch, but it's too much to ask the 41-year-old to log too many minutes there. 

Embiid needs to have the healthiest season of his career, particularly in the playoffs, for the Sixers to win it all. He was the best player in the first round against the Celtics last year, allowing Philadelphia to pull off the upset in seven games once he returned in the middle of that series. He was limited by a sore hip in the second round, and the Sixers were soundly swept by the Knicks. 

The Sixers may need to trade for a better backup, but there are severe constraints that they will be working against. They are hard-capped at the first apron, meaning that they can't add any more salary to their payroll. Rookie Labaron Philon could bring back a good player, but Philon is only making $3.6 million. Philadelphia doesn't have many other medium-sized salaries to include in a trade where they will have to match salaries. 

Aside from the Embiid issue, the Sixers need to figure out how to maximize Jaylen Brown alongside the rest of their stars. Brown was a Second Team All-NBA player for the Celtics last year, but his best trait is in creating shots for himself. Philadelphia doesn't need that skill as much with Embiid, LeBron, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe on the roster. 

Brown has been a good supporting player before, helping the Celtics secure the 2024 championship and winning Finals MVP honors in the process. And if there's anyone with the gravitas to get him to buy in, it's LeBron.

One easy way to get the pieces to work is to lean as much as possible into transition offense. Brown, LeBron, Maxey, and Edgecombe are all excellent fast break scorers. There is a formula here and enough talent to be a top five offense in the league. 

The biggest advantage that the Sixers have going for them is LeBron's wealth of experience and playmaking abilities in tight moments. He's still capable of raising his game in the playoffs, as he did in leading the Lakers to a win in the first round of the playoffs without Luka Doncic. He's not going to be the best player on the team any more, but he will be the most poised and quite possibly the one that elevates those around him the most. 

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How the Sixers fall well short of expectations

If Embiid only plays in 38 games again, then even Brown and LeBron aren't going to be enough to get them near the top of the East. They were the No. 7 seed in the conference last season and needed to get through the Play-In Tournament just to make it into the playoffs. They will be better this year, but so will several other teams like the Raptors and Pacers. 

Brown is perhaps the biggest wild card in this situation. There could definitely be a "too many cooks in the kitchen" approach to the Sixers' offense. The chemistry between LeBron and Brown is a complete unknown, adding another layer of complication. Brown infamously criticized Bronny several years ago, although LeBron said that their relationship had been "pretty respectful" outside of that incident. 

Making the issue even trickier are whispers that Brown wasn't particularly thrilled to be moving into a No. 2 role with the Celtics once Jayson Tatum returned, contributing to the desire for Boston to move him. Now, he may be Philadelphia's No. 4 option. 

Brown has the potential to be a dynamic two-way player in the league. His defensive focus waxes and wanes though, particularly when he's tasked with more offensive duties. The team needs him to be better as an off-ball defender, which has been a particular weakness of his.  

LeBron isn't the defender that he was during his prime either. While he has good anticipation and was effective in the Lakers' zone defense last season, he doesn't have the energy to bring it on a possession-by-possession basis any more. 

Maxey is another potential weak link on the defensive side of the ball. While he has improved from earlier in his career and contributes with steals, he lacks the size to switch onto bigger players.

Embiid was once an All-Defensive center capable of cleaning up those issues. His movement has been severely limited by his injuries. He's still a good rim protector, but he doesn't have that same elite level of impact. 

Add it all up, and there's no clear pathway for the Sixers to break into the top 10 defenses. They ranked No. 17 last season, and that was with a solid defender in Paul George who is gone now. Dean Wade is a good defensive addition, but he's projected to come off the bench. Philadelphia's offense will probably need to carry them. It may not be enough. 

The Sixers have certainly gotten a lot better, but they should still be considered a clear No. 2 in the East behind the Knicks. That could change with a few roster tweaks or better health from Embiid. There is a pathway towards making the Finals, but they will need health, chemistry, and some more roster tweaks for it to happen.