Kembali
The Philadelphia 76ers' strong start to the 2026-27 NBA season has been a true team effort. All members of the team's starting five have contributed in different ways, and while they've also gotten some timely bench contributions, it has been the first five that has carried the largest load for Philly.
With that said, here's a look at one revealing statistic for every 76ers starter so far.
With so many other capable, and willing, scorers on the roster, LeBron James has settled nicely into the role of primary playmaker for Philadelphia. James is averaging a team-leading 7.4 assists per game on the season, and he has set the tone for the team with his unselfish approach to his play, which has permeated through the rest of the roster.
Tyrese Maxey acknowledged as much following Philadelphia's recent 112-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
“LeBron’s here and he has made everybody willing passers,” Maxey said. “When LeBron can be a willing passer, the rest of us can too.”
When James leads, others follow. That has been the case throughout his career, and it has been the case with the ball movement for the 76ers early this season.
Joel Embiid's scoring numbers are down a bit to start the season, which was to be expected given all of the other talent around him on the roster in Philadelphia this season. But, he's found other ways to impact the game, including on the glass. Embiid is averaging a team-leading 10.0 rebounds per performance for the 76ers, which represents his highest total since the 2023-24 season.
The Sixers don't have a ton of size in the frontcourt, so it's critical that everyone contributes on the glass, especially Embiid as the team's center. So far he has done just that.
Someone had to lead the Sixers in scoring this season, and it looks like it's going to be Maxey. He's leading the team with 28.0 points per game so far, which is currently good for sixth in the entire NBA. He's quickly established himself as Philly's top go-to scoring option, even with all of the other talent around him.
The good news for Maxey this season is that when he has an off night, like he did against Detroit on Wednesday night (19 points on 5-of-16 from the floor), there are plenty of players around him who can pick up the slack, like Jaylen Brown, who scored a season-high 30 points against the Pistons.
Speaking of Jaylen Brown, he's been knocking down his attempts from long range at a high clip to start the season. Brown is converting 44.4 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, which is tied with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the highest mark on the team. That number represents a career-high for Brown. He's also shooting an impressive 48.1 percent on catch-and-shoot triples.
His field goal attempts per game are down compared to last season and he has the ball in his hands as a creator less, but Brown has found a multitude of other ways to be impactful, perhaps none more important that his ability to be a ready and willing shooter from beyond the arc, as doing so helps to open things up for the rest of the team.
VJ Edgecombe has been a bit of a utility guy for the Sixers this season, but his effort on the glass has been commendable. With an average of 7.0 rebounds per game, Edgecombe is Philadelphia's third-leading rebounder on the season behind Embiid and James. This is impressive considering the fact that Edgecombe plays as a guard and is listed at 6'5".
Despite playing a little less, Edgecombe is averaging 1.4 more rebounds per game than he did as a rookie last season, which is big for a team that needs a collective effort on the glass. With so many stars around him, Edgecombe knew that he would have to find other ways to impact the game outside of scoring this season, and so far he's done that with his rebounding.