The Philadelphia 76ers figure to be in the mix to contend for a championship in the 2026-27 season after a busy offseason. The Sixers added the likes of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to a roster that already featured Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe.
Throw in the additions of Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ariel Hukporti, and rookie Labaron Philon Jr., and the new-look Sixers look equipped to end a long title drought.
The folks at The Athletic put together their power rankings for the 2026-27 season and the Sixers are ranked No. 5 in the rankings:
Although I anticipate a slow start for the 76ers, like all LeBron James teams, I am already doing what I said I would not do last month: raising expectations for Philly. Why? If nothing else, because they have their team in place.
While James was the player the broadcast partners wanted, Brown was an All-NBA selection last season. It’s Brown replacing George in the salary bracket, and it’s Brown who must show he can defend at the level that helped him earn the 2024 NBA Finals MVP. James should be the kind of connector who makes Philadelphia’s offense easy for everyone else, especially Tyrese Maxey. More succinctly, James replaces Kelly Oubre Jr.
The Sixers should have a much better bench unit than the one that ended the 2026 playoffs with some struggles in Round 2 against the Knicks. When considering the star power in the starting lineup combined with the moves made to help the bench unit, the Sixers will look to get over the hump and get the job done in a much improved Eastern Conference.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: New-look 76ers receive high marks in latest power rankings for 2026-27
Leave a Comment