Anfernee Simons has already shown the kind of attitude the 76ers need from their supporting cast.
Philadelphia’s championship push will depend on more than just its headliners producing at a high level. The team needs every player on the roster to lean into the culture and accept whatever job comes with it, and Simons sounds ready to do exactly that. For him, the chance to play alongside LeBron James is a dream, and he said he is “going to take full advantage of it.”
That mindset matters in a room where roles are already taking shape. With Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Jaylen Brown in place, the 27-year-old understands he is there to bring scoring off the bench and keep the offense moving when the stars sit. That part of the job is not glamorous, but it is essential.
At 76ers media day, Simons made clear that his respect for LeBron James is a big reason he can fully buy into that setup. “It's crazy that, you know, you can say you've been teammates with somebody like LeBron James.” He added, “This year, I need to take advantage of this experience, 'cause I understand that not many people get this experience.”
That kind of response is exactly what Philadelphia has to hope for from its secondary players. Around the league, plenty of guys talk a big game until the minutes shrink or the spotlight moves elsewhere.
That can wreck a locker room fast. Simons, at least based on his words, sounds like someone who gets the assignment.
The bigger challenge for the 76ers is turning that attitude into something consistent over the course of a season. Everyone knows who the starters will be when the team is at full strength, but the bench still has to be ready for the moment an injury changes everything.
Simons will need to stay patient and keep developing while playing next to elite talent, but he also has to be prepared to prove to his new head coach that he can step in and deliver when called upon. Philadelphia has spent too many recent seasons looking ordinary when its stars were out. Without Joel Embiid, the Sixers have often had trouble getting over the line, and if not for Tyrese Maxey, they might have drifted into perennial lottery territory.
This year’s group looks different. Along with Simons, the 76ers now have Dean Wade, Labaron Philon Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope among their options. That gives them a bench that is both talented and physical, which is not something every contender can say.
So the question in Philadelphia is not just whether those players can contribute. It is whether they can stay locked in long enough to matter all season. If they follow Simons’ lead and embrace the role in front of them, the 76ers may have the kind of depth and buy-in that championship teams need.
In Other News...
Paul George Just Revived An Uncomfortable Sixers Reality
Paul Georges latest comments have only sharpened an awkward conversation around his Philadelphia tenure, because he spoke warmly about the Boston Celtics and said he wished he had gotten there sooner. For a Sixers team that brought him in to be a major piece of its future, that kind of sentiment lands hard, especially when it arrives after a stretch defined by uneven availability, injury interruptions and the kind of off-court suspension issues that kept the pairing from ever feeling fully settled.
The larger picture is even trickier for Philadelphia because the move that sent George to Boston also changed the direction of both franchises. Georges run with the Sixers never quite matched the optimism that followed his arrival, and now the trade invites an obvious comparison to the other side of the deal, where Jaylen Brown gives the Celtics a different kind of stability. For the Sixers, the uncomfortable part is not just losing George's production, but watching the return shape up as the sort of foundation they may have hoped to build all along. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid Just Gave The Sixers Their Best Camp Sign Yet
Joel Embiid took part fully in the 76ers training camp session, a welcome sight for a team that has spent far too much time navigating his health. Nick Nurse said Embiid was a full participant and looked great in the first practice, which is about as encouraging a start as Philadelphia could have asked for after another offseason of questions about how much the star center would be available.
The challenge now is turning a strong first day into something sustainable. The Sixers know Embiids injury-prone history makes caution essential, so his workload will be managed carefully as camp continues and the schedule starts to tighten. For a team built around him, the real news is not just that he was out there, but whether this can be the beginning of a more steady stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Brown Is Already Pushing Back On A Sixers Debate
As Jaylen Brown settles into Philadelphia, the early conversation around the 76ers is already drifting toward the sort of debate that usually follows a roster loaded with star power. Brown, though, has made it clear he is not interested in feeding the usual internal-rivalry chatter, choosing instead to keep the focus on patience, cohesion and letting the group take shape naturally.
It is an understandable stance for a team that enters the season with Brown alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James, a collection of names that can invite hierarchy questions before they have even played together. For the Sixers, the larger issue is not who gets labeled the alpha in October, but how quickly all that talent can settle into something stable enough to matter when the season starts to squeeze. [Read more 🡒]