The 76ers head into Saturday’s matchup with the Bucks in solid shape, but one name on the injury report could shape the night: LeBron James.
James is listed as questionable with back injury management for the game at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. If he sits, he’d join Dean Wade, Ariel Hukporti, Tacko Fall, and Dominick Barlow on the sidelines. Wade is dealing with a left ankle sprain, Hukporti has an Achilles tendon tear, Tacko Fall has a quadriceps sprain, and Barlow is out with a back stress reaction.
Philadelphia does have one important piece not appearing on the report: Joel Embiid. That matters, especially given his injury history. Embiid has said he plans to sit the second game of back-to-backs, but he has been available through the opening stretch of the season and has logged 67 total minutes across the first two games.
Wade, meanwhile, still hasn’t made his debut, though the signs point toward a return not too far away. After the ankle sprain, the seven-year veteran is expected back any game now, and that would give the bench another useful lift.
The biggest focus, though, is still James. At 41, the 76ers are clearly taking a cautious approach with his workload, especially after the sciatica diagnosis last summer that kept him out for the first month of NBA action. He has recovered from that issue, but the team is still keeping a close eye on him now.
Even with the questionable tag, there’s still a good chance James plays tomorrow. And if he doesn’t, Philadelphia should still be in position to handle business against a Bucks team described here as rebuilding. Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Jaylen Brown would be enough to carry the load, while also giving James a chance to stay fresh for Sunday’s game against the Pistons.
That’s the larger picture for Philadelphia right now: keep the talent available, but don’t force the issue. The 76ers have enough depth and star power to survive a night without James, and they’re willing to use that margin to preserve him when they can. The only target that really matters to them is the playoffs, and that’s still far down the road.
For now, James has already made a strong first impression with his new team. Through the first two games, he’s averaging 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 block per game while shooting 37.0% from the field.
The efficiency hasn’t been there yet, but the production has fit the role. As he settles in, the numbers are expected to climb.
The final word on his status will come soon enough, but the indication is that James is likely to be available. Either way, the 76ers are in a position to be selective, and they won’t hesitate to protect one of their most important players if needed.
In Other News...
Tyrese Maxey Just Challenged A Stephen A. Smith Sixers Story
Tyrese Maxey pushed back hard on a story that had tied him to the frustration around the 2023 playoffs, flatly denying Stephen A. Smiths claim that he showed up at Doc Rivers home upset over James Hardens effort. Maxey said he has never even been to Rivers house, cutting straight through a rumor that had lingered around one of the more uneasy stretches of the recent Sixers era.
The denial adds another layer to a storyline that has refused to fade, especially with Maxey and Harden already sharing a tense moment on the floor during a recent game Philadelphia won after digging out of a big deficit. For the Sixers, it is another reminder that the Harden chapter still has loose ends, and that even a simple postgame exchange can get folded into the larger history of that postseason. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Get A Huge Chance Against A Very Different Bucks Team
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That is where the Sixers can see an opening. Philadelphia has been leaning on strong second-half play and has been winning the paint battle in recent games, two traits that tend to travel when the offense gets tight. The challenge now is whether the Bucks new-look group can stabilize quickly enough to make this a true test, or whether the Sixers can keep pressing an opponent still trying to find its footing on both sides of the floor. [Read more 🡒]
VJ Edgecombe Is Already Feeling Philadelphias New Reality
VJ Edgecombe is learning quickly what it means to play on a team with championship expectations. Through the first two games of the season, his scoring and shot attempts have dipped from what he saw as a rookie, and the reason is pretty clear: with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown now in the mix, the offense has different priorities and different pecking order. For a young player still building his place, that means less room to hunt his own looks and more pressure to make an impact in other ways.
Edgecombe did just that in the 76ers comeback win over the Cavaliers, helping with defense and the little things that can swing a game when shots are harder to come by. It is an adjustment, but also a useful one for a player trying to grow inside a group that is focused on bigger goals than individual numbers. For Philadelphia, the early read on Edgecombe is less about how often he scores and more about how well he fits a roster chasing a title. [Read more 🡒]