The Philadelphia 76ers rebounded from a disastrous 2024-25 season, where they were one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference, by returning to the 2026 NBA Playoffs after beating the Orlando Magic in the 7-8 Play-In Tournament game.
Despite dealing with another injury-plagued season by franchise superstar Joel Embiid and a 25-game suspension for Paul George, the 76ers managed to keep their heads above water and are returning to the Playoffs as potential dark horses in the East.
If the 76ers’ core roster is healthy for the Playoffs, few teams in the East are more dangerous than them. But injury luck will also need to be supplemented by dominant on-court performances, as the 76ers will be the lower seed in almost every matchup they have in the 2026 Playoffs.
Starters
Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George, Joel Embiid
The 76ers have a dangerous starting five to rely on. Point guard Tyrese Maxey averaged 28.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists this season while leading the league in minutes (38.0 MPG). He’s the offensive engine for this squad, creating opportunities for others while also being their most reliable scorer this season. There are defensive shortcomings to overcome with Maxey, but his offensive production makes him far too valuable.
Rookie V.J. Edgecombe has had a strong season, averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. He’s already cemented his spot as Maxey’s long-term backcourt partner, making up for Maxey’s defensive shortcomings with his relentless pace and motor. If he can keep his offensive production at a high level, the 76ers will be impossible to beat. Edgecombe plays interchangeably with Kelly Oubre Jr., who is averaging 14.1 points and 5.0 rebounds this season.
Paul George has averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this season, looking like a more productive player after returning from his 25-game suspension, which allowed him to become fully healthy once again. The 76ers can’t win if George isn’t producing consistently, so all eyes will be on the 37-year-old forward.
Finally, Joel Embiid will hope to remind everyone why he was the only individual who could compete against Nikola Jokic just a few years ago. Embiid has averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 38 games this season, putting up big numbers in limited minutes. The 76ers will need him to have a heavy minutes-load in the Playoffs, and his load-managed season might allow that if he recovers from appendicitis in time for Game 1.
Bench
Quentin Grimes, Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Justin Edwards, Andre Drummond, Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker, Dalen Terry, Kyle Lowry, Tyrese Martin
The 76ers have a clear bench hierarchy they rely on, even if the players aren’t elite individual contributors.
Quentin Grimes should be the first name off the bench, with the swingman averaging 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He’s a like-for-like fit behind Edgecombe and Oubre, but will need to be more consistent in his production if he wants consistent postseason minutes while on an expiring contract.
Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Trendon Watford, and Andre Drummond will form the big man rotation behind Embiid and potentially George at power forward. Barlow averaged 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds this season, while Bona averaged 4.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. Drummond is averaging 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds, with Watford likely being the last man off the rotation if the three above him can give consistent production.
Justin Edwards might play a significant part as a role-playing forward, with the forward averaging 6.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists this season. He shone in extended minutes during the George suspension and will be an option coach Nick Nurse might rely on.
The team has a clear weakness in terms of backup guards, with 40-year-old Kyle Lowry being the only point guard on the bench. Lowry could be a Playoff contributor despite averaging just 1.2 points in 14 games during the regular season due to his veteran insight. But it looks unlikely, with the 76ers likely relying on other rotational players to fill in for limited minutes when Maxey is on the bench.
Closing Lineup
Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George, Joel Embiid
The 76ers don’t have the depth to change up their starting five for closing situations. There is potential for changes based on matchups, but it might cause multiple players to play in different positions to make a five-man unit work.
If Edgecombe or Oubre are having rough nights, the option to play Grimes or Edwards instead is straightforward. However, the 76ers could also move George into Edgecombe or Oubre’s position while relying on Barlow or Bona to be the power forward next to Embiid, if they need to have a bigger lineup on the court.
Ultimately, this is their best five-man unit and should be what coach Nurse relies on as his closing rotation throughout the Playoffs.
Road To The NBA Finals
The 76ers’ first opponent in the Playoffs are longtime rivals, the Boston Celtics. The Celtics have home-court advantage as the No. 2 seed, but the 76ers will hope they can beat the Celtics in a Playoff series for the first time since 1982, losing their last six Playoff matchups.
If the 76ers can pull off an upset series win over the Celtics, who are readjusting to Jayson Tatum in their lineup, they’ll be headed into a matchup against the winner of the 3-6 matchup between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks. These are both teams that have handed the 76ers a Playoff series loss in the Embiid era, so it gives the franchise the motivation to avenge a high-profile loss and make their first Conference Finals in the Embiid era.
The Conference Finals will present one of four teams to the 76ers if they make it that far. No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons, No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers, No. 5 seed Toronto Raptors, and No. 8 seed Orlando Magic will all be looking to make it that far. The 76ers will likely be the underdogs against the Pistons and Cavaliers, with the Raptors’ inexperience making that a potentially even series, especially if the 76ers beat the Celtics and the Knicks on their way. The 76ers will definitely be the favored team over the Magic if they make a miracle run to the Conference Finals.
This might be one of the final postseason opportunities the 76ers can maximize in the Embiid era. Any success after this season will likely be attributed to Maxey and Edgecombe’s emergence, so this postseason run might be the most important in Joel Embiid’s career.
