Shawn Marion isn’t dismissing the Philadelphia 76ers’ new-look roster, but he’s not buying the idea that star power alone will make this thing hum.
Philadelphia enters the 2026-27 season with real championship expectations after a massive offseason that brought LeBron James and Jaylen Brown into the mix alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. That’s a ton of talent. It’s also a whole lot of mouths to feed, and Marion thinks that’s where the real test begins.
Speaking to Kyle Odegard of Action Network, the former NBA champion pointed straight at the fit issue.
“There are a lot of guys over there and ain’t but one ball. They don’t really call plays anymore so that’s the uniqueness of the game now, but a lot of guys don’t play well without the ball.
Every star doesn’t play well together. We see it time and time again.
We’re going to see how it rolls out. I’m optimistic, but I want to see what happens,” Marion said.
That’s the heart of the concern in Philadelphia: too many high-end offensive players, not enough clear hierarchy. James and Brown arrived after the 76ers shook up the roster in a major way this summer, with Brown coming over from the Boston Celtics in a deal that sent Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks the other way. James, meanwhile, chose to leave the Los Angeles Lakers after the 41-year-old superstar decided to move on.
And the 76ers already had plenty of firepower before either newcomer got there. Maxey is coming off a career season, averaging 28.3 points, 6.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 70 games and earning his second All-Star nod. Edgecombe, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, made a strong first impression as a rookie, putting up 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists while starting all 75 games he played.
Put all of that together with Embiid, and Philadelphia suddenly has a roster packed with players who can demand the ball and change a game. That’s the upside. The challenge is finding the right rhythm and defining roles before the season starts asking hard questions.
The early warning signs haven’t helped. The 76ers closed their preseason with a 1-3 record, finishing on a 125-120 overtime loss to the Celtics on Friday.
Marion also pointed to the other issue hanging over this team: health. That’s not a new storyline in Philadelphia, especially when Embiid is involved.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in Philly. Are they going to be healthy?
What are they going to do?” Marion said.
Embiid’s availability remains the biggest variable. He played only 38 regular-season games in 2025-26, though he was still dominant when on the floor, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field.
The season before that, he appeared in just 19 games. In 2023-24, he played 39.
Over the last three seasons, he has taken part in only 96 of a possible 246 regular-season games.
James, by contrast, has stayed on the court far more often even as he heads into an unprecedented 24th NBA season. He played 60 games for the Lakers in 2025-26 and averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field. He also logged 70 games in 2024-25 and 71 in 2023-24.
Marion was quick to recognize what that kind of durability means at this stage of James’ career.
“It’s unbelievable. His longevity is something to be honored,” Marion said.
Now Philadelphia has to sort out how all of it fits. James, Embiid, Brown, Maxey and Edgecombe can all score, but the 76ers still have to turn that collection of talent into an actual offense - and keep it healthy enough to matter when the games count.
That journey starts Tuesday, Oct. 20, when the 76ers open the regular season against the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on NBC.
In Other News...
Sixers Just Addressed A Frontcourt Concern With Opening Night Near
With opening night drawing closer, the 76ers made a quiet but practical move to shore up their frontcourt depth by converting Tacko Falls Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way deal. The 7-foot-6 center gives Philadelphia another big body to work with as the roster takes shape, and the move fills the teams open two-way slot while keeping a player with previous NBA experience in the mix.
Fall has not been able to get on the floor in the preseason because of a strained hip, but his presence has still been viewed as a positive inside the locker room. Under the new deal, he can be active for up to 50 regular-season games and will earn a salary of $678,882, leaving the Sixers with one less open question as they finalize the edges of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Preseason Finale May Have Clarified Two Key Opening Night Roles
Joel Embiids final tune-up before the regular season looked a lot more like the version the Sixers need. In Philadelphias 125-120 overtime loss to Boston to close the preseason, Embiid finished with 27 points and chipped in across the board, giving the team a much cleaner glimpse of how the offense can function when he is moving with rhythm and purpose. The Sixers wrapped exhibition play at 1-3, but the bigger takeaway may have been how the rotation started to take shape around him.
One of the steadier constants was LeBron James, who led the team in assists in both preseason games, a sign the Sixers may have found a reliable connector for the regular season. Jabari Walker also helped his case with a strong showing in the finale, and his play looked good enough to lock in a spot in the opening rotation. Between Embiids sharper finish and Walkers push, the preseason finale may have answered a couple of the most important early questions for Philadelphia, even if the broader picture is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Turn To Tacko Fall As Center Depth Becomes A Real Concern
With the Sixers already dealing with a thin frontcourt, they are turning to Tacko Fall on a two-way contract as a way to add another true big man to the mix. Fall was unable to take part in the preseason because of a hip injury, but Philadelphias need at center has only grown with the injuries piling up around the position.
Fall brings NBA experience from his time with the Celtics and Cavaliers, along with work in the G League and Summer League, giving the Sixers another familiar center option to evaluate. For a team trying to patch together its depth chart, the move gives them a look at a player whose size alone changes the conversation, even if the bigger question is how soon he can actually get on the floor. [Read more 🡒]