For revamped Sixers, youth and growth should still matter plenty

For revamped Sixers, youth and growth should still matter plenty originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The surface impression of the 2026-27 Sixers is that they’ll lean on experience and star power as they pursue grand ambitions.

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LeBron James is the NBA’s eldest player, set to turn 42 years old in December and impossibly accomplished. Joel Embiid is a seven-time All-Star, Jaylen Brown a five-time All-Star. Tyrese Maxey is fresh off his first All-NBA team selection. Veteran role players like Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have made careers largely out of accepting and executing blue-collar work.

That’s all well and good. The Sixers won’t be naive to the bumps and battles that come with an NBA season. Youth and internal improvement should matter plenty, though.

Time and again, Maxey’s teammates have echoed his mantra of “One percent better every day” in press conferences over the past several weeks. It’s a solid default to any sort of team-building question and words are words. Still, it makes plenty of sense for this Sixers squad to be focused on steady growth.

While James, Brown and the other pickups from the Sixers’ very eventful summer are far from strangers, so much newness always presents major challenges. The awkward turnovers and miscommunications won’t stop just because the preseason is over. As James highlighted at media day, patience and day-after-day dedication will be required.

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Health permitting, 21-year-old VJ Edgecombe should be a crucial piece of the picture. He was game for anything last season and a well-earned finalist for Rookie of the Year.

“Look at the team I have around me,” Edgecombe said with a laugh on Sept. 29. “There’s no pressure on me at all. I’m just going to go out there and be myself. Once I’m out there being myself, playing with joy, I think we’ll be good.”

James certainly does not view Edgecombe as an immature youngster.

“He’s just not quiet,” the four-time MVP said on Oct. 3 after the Sixers’ Blue-White scrimmage. “And I’m saying that in a good way. If there’s things that happen on the floor, if there’s things that he sees, if there’s things…

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Publish date : 2026-10-19 00:10:00

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