Tyrese Maxey knows the Philadelphia 76ers are about to look very different, and he’s not pretending otherwise.
With the offseason additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, Philadelphia has moved itself into a new tier in the Eastern Conference. The roster now carries the kind of star power that can make the 76ers one of the most intimidating teams in the league, but that also means the old pecking order is gone. For Maxey, that shift brings a simple reality: his game will have to bend.
Maxey said as much on the Numbers on the Board podcast, making it clear that winning matters more than clinging to a familiar role.
"At the end of the day, I want to win, you know what I mean? And I have played with a lot of different people and a lot of different groups.
So at the end of the day I am going to have to change some of the things, but because of the dynamic of our team and like we don’t expect the process to play 70 games. But to play 70 games, that’s how you balances out,"
That’s the tradeoff for Philadelphia’s new look. Maxey has been used to operating as a central figure, and Joel Embiid has been right there as a star presence as well. Now Brown and James are in the mix, and that changes the way touches, usage, and responsibility could be spread around.
Even with that firepower, the 76ers are not being handed the crown. They still have to navigate a crowded field that includes the New York Knicks, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the San Antonio Spurs, all of whom are viewed as the league’s best teams. So while Philadelphia has become one of the most talked-about contenders, the path ahead is still going to require some sorting out.
That’s where Nick Nurse comes in. How he handles the rotation and distributes the ball will go a long way toward deciding how smoothly this new version of the 76ers takes shape. For now, the message from Maxey is straightforward: if Philadelphia is going to chase a title, he’s ready to sacrifice for it.
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That absence has already fed the kind of leaguewide chatter that tends to follow a marquee Eastern Conference pairing, especially with fans and commentators wondering about the scheduling choices around Jaylen Browns move to Philadelphia. Even without a head-to-head date right away, the setup has only sharpened the curiosity around when the Celtics and 76ers will finally see each other and how much the league may be trying to hold that matchup back for a bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]
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Philadelphia also opens with the Knicks on opening night and gets the Cavaliers in its home opener, giving the early part of the season a distinctly spotlight feel. The NBA is still set to release the Cup group-stage schedule and the full slate later this week, so there will be more details to sort through soon, but the headline dates already show the Sixers are again part of the leagues featured programming. [Read more 🡒]