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The Philadelphia 76ers being ranked No. 12 in ESPN’s early 2026-27 power rankings may feel aggressive at first.
It is not hard to understand why.
The Sixers are not a clean team on paper. Joel Embiid’s health remains the biggest question around the franchise. Paul George is older, more expensive, and less available. The roster is expensive, the flexibility is limited, and Philadelphia is coming off a season that ended in the second round against the New York Knicks.
That does not usually sound like a team that should sit near the top third of the league.
But the ranking is easier to defend when looking at what Philadelphia did well and what the team could still be if the main pieces are actually on the floor.
But the ranking is easier to defend when looking at what Philadelphia did well and what the team could still be if the main pieces are actually on the floor.
The Sixers finished 45-37 last season, which is not elite, but it is also not a disaster. They survived a year that required major contributions from different parts of the roster, got meaningful rookie production from VJ Edgecombe, and still had enough high-end talent to reach the second round. Their overall net rating was basically neutral, but that only tells part of the story. The Sixers were a hobbled team trying to compete in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
The offense is where the optimism starts.
Philadelphia posted a 115.4 offensive rating, which ranked in the middle of the league, but the ceiling was clearly higher when the right players (Joel Embiid, especially) were available. Tyrese Maxey took another leap as the team’s most reliable engine, averaging 28.3 points and 6.6 assists while carrying a massive creation burden.
Embiid, when available, was still a star player. He averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 38 games, and even in a season where his body was a constant concern, his scoring gravity remained elite.
Edgecombe is the other reason the ranking makes sense. As a rookie, he averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Those numbers show how quickly he became more than just an athletic prospect and turned the corner before the season was even over.
If Edgecombe improves in year two, the Sixers’ offense could become less predictable, as having to guard both Maxey and Edgecombe in the open court will prove difficult for even the staunchest defenses.
There are still concerns about the overall unit.
Health could derail the entire argument. If Embiid and George are constantly in and out of the lineup, Philadelphia’s ceiling drops fast. The defense was not strong enough last season to survive major offensive inconsistency, and the roster still needs more reliable depth.
But ESPN’s ranking is not completely unreasonable.
It is a bet on the Sixers’ best version being sustainable over an 82-game sample size.
Join The 76ersRoundtable
Head over to the 76ersRoundtable page and hit the "Join" button under the featured story... it's completely FREE! You'll have the opportunity to engage with other 76ers fans who live and breathe the team, share your thoughts on the organization, and more. If you're asked to sign up or download the Roundtable app... that's free too.
Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].
Continue reading...
It is not hard to understand why.
The Sixers are not a clean team on paper. Joel Embiid’s health remains the biggest question around the franchise. Paul George is older, more expensive, and less available. The roster is expensive, the flexibility is limited, and Philadelphia is coming off a season that ended in the second round against the New York Knicks.
That does not usually sound like a team that should sit near the top third of the league.
But the ranking is easier to defend when looking at what Philadelphia did well and what the team could still be if the main pieces are actually on the floor.
But the ranking is easier to defend when looking at what Philadelphia did well and what the team could still be if the main pieces are actually on the floor.
The Sixers finished 45-37 last season, which is not elite, but it is also not a disaster. They survived a year that required major contributions from different parts of the roster, got meaningful rookie production from VJ Edgecombe, and still had enough high-end talent to reach the second round. Their overall net rating was basically neutral, but that only tells part of the story. The Sixers were a hobbled team trying to compete in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
The offense is where the optimism starts.
Philadelphia posted a 115.4 offensive rating, which ranked in the middle of the league, but the ceiling was clearly higher when the right players (Joel Embiid, especially) were available. Tyrese Maxey took another leap as the team’s most reliable engine, averaging 28.3 points and 6.6 assists while carrying a massive creation burden.
Embiid, when available, was still a star player. He averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 38 games, and even in a season where his body was a constant concern, his scoring gravity remained elite.
Edgecombe is the other reason the ranking makes sense. As a rookie, he averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Those numbers show how quickly he became more than just an athletic prospect and turned the corner before the season was even over.
If Edgecombe improves in year two, the Sixers’ offense could become less predictable, as having to guard both Maxey and Edgecombe in the open court will prove difficult for even the staunchest defenses.
There are still concerns about the overall unit.
Health could derail the entire argument. If Embiid and George are constantly in and out of the lineup, Philadelphia’s ceiling drops fast. The defense was not strong enough last season to survive major offensive inconsistency, and the roster still needs more reliable depth.
But ESPN’s ranking is not completely unreasonable.
It is a bet on the Sixers’ best version being sustainable over an 82-game sample size.
Join The 76ersRoundtable
Head over to the 76ersRoundtable page and hit the "Join" button under the featured story... it's completely FREE! You'll have the opportunity to engage with other 76ers fans who live and breathe the team, share your thoughts on the organization, and more. If you're asked to sign up or download the Roundtable app... that's free too.
Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].
Continue reading...
