LeBron James is hearing plenty about what the Philadelphia 76ers can do on offense, and that part is obvious enough. With James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in the mix, Philadelphia has four players who averaged more than 20.0 points per game in 2025-26, which gives the group the kind of scoring punch that can overwhelm teams in a hurry.
But James wants the conversation to stretch beyond buckets. After the 76ers’ open scrimmages at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday, the 41-year-old made it clear that he sees real defensive upside in this group, too.
“I think the potential of our team defensively can be very high if we really commit ourselves to the defensive end,” James said, via Dave Uram. “We can be a top ten, if not top five, defensive team if we commit every night. It starts at the point of attack, picking guys up from the point of position.
“And then whosoever’s picking the ball up, we have to have four guys behind them with eyes and ears, just communicating constantly throughout the whole possession,” James continued. “And then even after that, we make teams miss, a lot of teams now in the NBA, they crashing three or four guys at times, so we have to put bodies on bodies, and we have to rebound.
“So no matter how much firepower we have offensively, if we’re not cleaning glass, we’re not rebounding, we’re never going to get out the transition,” James added. “But we can be really good defensively.
We have the length, we have the athleticism, we have the minds, we have the schemes as we’re still putting them in. But if we can do that consistently, we could be really good.
It’s only going to help our offense.”
That kind of defensive standard matters. Only one team has won the NBA title in the 2020s without finishing in the top 10 in defensive rating: the 2023 Denver Nuggets. Even that team was 15th, which is a reminder that at minimum, a contender has to be decent on that end.
Philadelphia’s projected starting group looks like the four stars plus VJ Edgecombe. Brown stands out as the clearest high-level defender in that lineup.
Embiid has been that caliber before, though injuries have taken a toll on his mobility. The source notes he is fully healthy now, so there’s at least a chance he can get back to defending at a high level.
Edgecombe is described as a solid defender, while James can still deliver good defense in bursts at his age. Maxey appears to be the weakest link, even if he brings effort every night.
The bench gives the 76ers some help, too. Dean Wade is labeled an excellent defender who can guard multiple positions, though his offensive impact is limited.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has that same kind of versatility, but he has not quite been at his best in recent years. The question is whether he can find his old form again in Philadelphia, where he should at least have the motivation of playing meaningful basketball.
If the 76ers buy into what James is pushing, the defense could be a real asset. James signed a two-year, $8 million deal, and as the 22-time All-Star settles into the role of running the offense, there may be some early growing pains as the stars adjust to one another. Still, the expectation is that the group should click more and more as the season goes on.
In Other News...
76ers Just Added A Bench Threat Rivals Wont Enjoy Facing
The 76ers have added a new layer to their second unit with the signing of Anfernee Simons to a two-year, $12.2 million contract. Philadelphia is expecting him to operate as a sixth man, a role that should give the team a more reliable scoring punch whenever the starters head to the bench.
For a roster that has been looking to sharpen its depth, Simons brings a different kind of pressure for opponents to manage. A bench scorer of his caliber can change the rhythm of a game, and the 76ers are clearly betting that his shot-making will make their reserve group a lot tougher to sit through. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Suddenly Have A Real Backup Center Battle To Watch
The 76ers have added another big body to the mix, and Ariel Hukporti now enters camp with a chance that never quite materialized for him in New York. After signing a one-year deal with Philadelphia, the young center is expected to spend the preseason battling for the backup job, a role that suddenly has a little more intrigue because of the teams injury situation and the way the roster is built.
For Hukporti, this could be the kind of opening that changes the conversation around his career. He did not have much room to carve out steady minutes with the Knicks, but Philadelphia may offer a clearer path if he can hold his own in camp. If he turns that opportunity into real rotation value, it would give the 76ers an early payoff for making the move in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Maxey Just Put Huge Pressure On VJ Edgecombe
Tyrese Maxey has already put a spotlight on VJ Edgecombe before the season even gets rolling, calling the rookie the most important player on the 76ers for what comes next. That is a notable layer of expectation on a player who is still expected to find his footing, but the role is clear enough: Edgecombe is being counted on to bring life off the ball, help with passing, knock down threes and fit into an offense that needs movement and pace around its top creators.
The defensive end may be where the pressure really gathers. Philadelphia wants Edgecombe taking on the opponents toughest backcourt assignment, which says plenty about how quickly the team believes he can matter. Even with other All-NBA talent on the roster, the 76ers seem to view his energy and all-around skill as a swing factor, and how he handles that responsibility could tell a lot about how smoothly this group comes together. [Read more 🡒]