Joel Embiid rejected the idea that Philadelphia’s stars will have to reduce their roles to make the 76ers work together this season. Speaking after the team’s preseason finale Friday, he said players should contribute what they do best and receive support from their teammates.
Philadelphia has assembled a high-profile roster featuring Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. Brown joined the 76ers in a trade, while James chose the team in free agency, according to the supplied account. Questions have been raised about how the players will share responsibilities, but Embiid said he did not believe anyone needed to “take a back seat.”
The preseason game against the Boston Celtics offered an early look at the group, although VJ Edgecombe did not play. Embiid scored 27 points and collected eight rebounds. Boston won 125-120 in overtime, closing out both teams’ exhibition schedules.
The account described Philadelphia’s lineup as looking out of sync at points. Brown cited spacing as one factor contributing to turnovers and said the team still had work to do. He characterized the adjustment as part of bringing together players with different styles, adding that the group needed to continue improving.
James also said the team was still developing its rhythm and addressing issues after only a couple of weeks together. Neither Brown nor James expressed concern in the supplied remarks about whether the roster could come together, though their comments acknowledged that the process was ongoing.
The 2026-27 NBA regular season was set to begin the following Tuesday. Philadelphia’s first listed matchup was a visit to Madison Square Garden to play the reigning champion New York Knicks. The preseason result and player comments offer an early snapshot, rather than a measure of how the new lineup will perform over the regular season.
