Projected 76ers staring lineup and rotation as training camp opens

The Philadelphia 76ers fired Daryl Morey after another second-round exit, hiring ex-Cavaliers GM Mike Gansey to run basketball operations. His first offseason at the controls did not disappoint. The Sixers pulled off a miraculous trade for Jaylen Brown out of nowhere, then parlayed that newfound excitement into signing LeBron James to a veteran minimum contract.

All of a sudden, the Sixers boast the most talented starting five in the NBA and rank favorably in the championship odds. New expectations come with new pressures, however. The Sixers will need to quickly intigrate two stars and build chemistry from scratch, an all too common experience during the Joel Embiid era. It's a challenge the Sixers are glad to take on. This is their best shot at a title since the 80s.

Projected 76ers starting lineup and depth chart

The starting five will command all the headlines, with two former MVPs, two former Finals MVPs, and four multi-time All-Stars — plus VJ Edgecombe, a recent top-3 pick coming off of a spectacular rookie season. Unlike other recent (failed) superteams, Philadelphia has real youth and athleticism in the mix. Maxey, Edgecombe and Brown are all on the right side of 30, while LeBron has defied Father Time for a decade at this point. If anyone can provide top-20ish value at 42 years old, it's him.

How it all comes together is an open-ended question. To quote Anfernee Simons, sacrifice is "the word of the year." Buy-in is an absolute must. Brown, who clearly enjoyed his role as a high-usage centerpiece in Boston, needs to spend more time bombing spot-up 3s and attacking closeouts. LeBron might average below 20 points per game for the first time in his career. Joel Embiid, one of the most talented volume scorers in NBA history, will need to scale down and domineer fewer possessions. It will need to be a collective, conscious effort to make every piece fit.

Sixers projected 10-man rotation

For the purposes of this exercise, let's assume that Philadelphia operates with a fairly standard 10-man core. Nick Nurse likes to ride his stars, so Philly could shorten the rotation while heavily staggering its starters. I'd anticipate a lot of Maxey-LeBron lineups, a lot of Embiid-Brown lineups, and plenty of other two- and three-man mashups with the second unit.

That said, here's how I'd anticipate a 10-man rotation shaking out, roughly.

Much is unsettled heading into training camp, of course. Rookie guard Labaron Philon Jr. is absolutely talented enough to force his way into the everyday rotation, but Philadelphia could struggle to find a role for two skinny guards. Anfernee Simons figures to provide the primary scoring punch off the bench, while Dean Wade will be relied upon heavily as a glue guy, focused on tough defensive assignments and dirty work. His low-usage profile is the perfect complement to a lineup loaded with high-usage generators.

The backup five minutes probably belong to Adem Bona once he recovers from a recent foot injury, although Dominick Barlow performed well in limited exposure as a center in the playoffs. Another non-shooting forward who hangs his hat on defense and rebounding, the Sixers probably can't pair Barlow and Wade on the wing very often. If the former can absorb minutes at the five (and perhaps iron out his jump shot a bit), that will allow Philadelphia to keep one of its seven or eight best players in the mix.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has the pedigree (and the relationship with LeBron) to command backup wing minutes. His volume shooting and theoretically stout defense are a natural fit, although he's coming off of two lackluster seasons. If Father Time continues to impede KCP, those minutes could shift to Philon if the Sixers want to prioritize speed and craft. If Philadelphia prefers a more prototypical 3-and-D wing off the bench, Justin Edwards is someone Nick Nurse has expressed faith in, even amid struggles last season.

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