By: Joseph R. Martin Jr.

As another NBA season quickly approaches, Philadelphia 76ers fans are once again asking the same question they seem to ask every year: Is this finally the year?

The 2026–27 NBA season brings a completely different level of excitement to Philadelphia. After finishing last season with a 45–37 record and reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Sixers made major changes during the offseason. Philadelphia added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to a roster that already included Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and young guard VJ Edgecombe.

On paper, the talent on this team looks almost unfair. But Sixers fans know better than anyone that having talent and turning that talent into a championship are two completely different things. 

That is why I believe this season will come down to more than star power. Health, chemistry, sacrifice, and everyone understanding their role will ultimately determine how far this team can go.

And unlike previous seasons, I am willing to take my prediction one step further.

I believe the Philadelphia 76ers will make it to the NBA Finals and complete this year’s championship run.

A New-Look Sixers Team

The Sixers are entering this season looking completely different from the team we watched a year ago. 

Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., Quentin Grimes, and Andre Drummond are among the players who departed, while Brown, James, Anfernee Simons, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are among the new additions. 

The biggest question surrounding this roster is not whether these players are talented enough. We already know the answer to that. 

The real question is: How quickly can all of these stars learn to play together?

Adding James and Brown gives Philadelphia two highly experienced players who know what it feels like to reach the mountaintop and win an NBA championship. Putting them alongside Maxey and Embiid creates a lineup with enough scoring ability and experience to compete with anybody. 

But there is only one basketball.

That is where sacrifice becomes one of the biggest factors for this team. Every player cannot dominate the ball. Someone may have to take fewer shots. Someone may have to become more of a facilitator. There will be nights when one of the stars does not get the final shot. 

If everyone is willing to sacrifice individual numbers for winning, I believe this team will be extremely dangerous.

Players to Watch

There will naturally be plenty of attention surrounding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, but one of the most important players to watch and who I believe could be the X-factor is Tyrese Maxey. 

Last season, Maxey proved that he could carry a major part of the offensive responsibility when Embiid was unavailable. Maxey has developed into much more than just another player alongside Embiid. He has become a star in his own right. 

I do not think Maxey should disappear into the background just because Philadelphia added James and Brown. In fact, having more stars around him could make him even more dangerous. Defenses cannot focus all of their attention on Maxey when Embiid, James, and Brown are also on the floor. 

VJ Edgecombe is another player worth watching after an impressive rookie season. With all of the veteran talent surrounding him, Edgecombe should have an opportunity to continue developing without having the pressure of carrying the team.

But no matter how many stars Philadelphia adds, everything still comes back to Joel Embiid. 

For years, Embiid has been at the center of the Sixers’ championship aspirations. When healthy, he can completely change the direction of a basketball game. 

The problem is that Sixers fans have heard the phrase “when healthy” too many times. 

In my opinion, keeping Embiid healthy should be more important than trying to have him dominate every regular-season game. The Sixers now have enough talent around him that he should not have to carry the team for an entire season. 

The goal should be having Embiid healthy when the games matter most.

Let’s Hear From a Faithful 76ers Fan

“I think the Sixers will be a boom-or-bust team. They have a lot of talent, but with four ball-dominant players, sacrifices will have to be made. If they can figure that out, they’ll be dangerous. If not, it could be a frustrating season.”

— Matt Grace, Class of 2027, English Secondary Education Major at Holy Family University

My Take: This Team is Finals Bound

This is where I am willing to make my prediction. 

I believe the Philadelphia 76ers will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals and finish the job by winning the championship.

I understand why some Sixers fans may be hesitant to believe that. We have been through disappointing playoff exits, injuries, roster changes, and seasons where expectations were high only for everything to fall apart. 

But this roster feels different to me. 

The biggest difference is that Embiid no longer has to carry everything himself. If he has an off night, Philadelphia has Maxey. If Maxey struggles, there is Brown. And now you also have one of the most experienced playoff performers in NBA history: LeBron James. That depth of star power is why my expectations are higher.

James and Brown also bring something Philadelphia desperately needs: players who know what it takes to win an NBA championship. They understand the pressure of playing deep into May and June, when every possession matters. That experience could make a major difference for a team that has spent years trying to get over the playoff hump.

The road will not be easy. There are other talented teams throughout the Eastern Conference, and the Sixers still have to prove they can stay healthy and develop chemistry. If this team reaches the postseason healthy and learns how to sacrifice for one another, I believe they have enough talent and experience to reach the Finals. I do not think the run stops there.

My prediction is that the Philadelphia 76ers will complete the run and bring an NBA championship back to Philadelphia.

The timing of this story is important because the new NBA season is quickly approaching. 

The Sixers open the regular season on Oct. 20 against the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden before returning to Philadelphia for their home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

With opening night getting closer, expectations are beginning to rise throughout Philadelphia. 

And Philadelphia sports fans do not do expectations quietly. 

When one of our teams looks capable of competing for a championship, the entire city feels it. Conversations happen at work, at school, on social media, in barbershops, and anywhere else Philadelphia sports fans gather. 

That is why this is the perfect time to talk about what we should actually expect from the Sixers. 

I think fans should be excited, but we also have to remember that championships are not won on paper. This team has to prove itself on the basketball court. 

They do not need to be perfect on opening night. 

They need to be at their best when the playoffs arrive.

Championship or Bust?

With this roster, I believe the expectations have changed. 

Simply reaching the playoffs should not be enough.

The Sixers have star power. They have championship experience. They have one of the league’s most dominant big men when healthy. They have an emerging star in Maxey and young talent that can continue developing. 

There are too many accomplished players on this roster for expectations to be anything other than extremely high. 

Still, there are questions that cannot be answered until the games begin. Can Embiid stay healthy? 

How will James, Brown, Maxey, and Embiid work together? 

Will everyone be willing to sacrifice? 

Can the Sixers defend at a championship level? 

And when adversity hits, will they respond as individuals or as a team? For me, the formula is simple: stay healthy, sacrifice, defend, and play together. The talent is already there. 

If Embiid enters the postseason healthy, Maxey continues developing, James and Brown embrace whatever roles are necessary, Edgecombe takes another step forward, and the entire roster buys into winning over individual statistics, I believe this team will have what it takes to finish the job. 

Sixers fans have trusted the process long enough. 

This year, I believe we finally get the payoff.

My prediction: Philadelphia reaches the NBA Finals, wins the championship, and brings the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to the city.

Now it is time for the Sixers to prove me right.

Joseph R. Martin Jr. is a senior English Secondary Education major at Holy Family University. He is a Philadelphia sports fan with interests in education, sports, and the culture surrounding Philadelphia athletics.