What the new-look Sixers need from each star, including Joel Embiid’s health and LeBron James’ championship habits

About two months still remain before the 76ers get their first crack at putting together their star-studded puzzle, when training camp opens with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown on the roster.

The Sixers now boast four players who have made at least one All-NBA team, and two former MVPs in James and Joel Embiid. Their fifth starter, VJ Edgecombe, is coming off a fantastic rookie season.

Though this is now a team with legitimate championship aspirations, it will take individual sacrifice and adaptability to combine these talents on the court. Here is what the Sixers need from each of their five starters:

Maxey is coming off his second consecutive season with a sprain in the same pinkie, which impacted his shooting and ball handling. Though he admirably returned exactly three weeks after sustaining the injury in early March, he acknowledged he periodically aggravated it throughout the regular season’s stretch run and playoffs.

He went 3-of-19 from three-point range in the Sixers’ second-round sweep to the New York Knicks, and matter-of-factly said after the season-ending Game 4 loss that the finger “just hurt.”

Now Maxey is getting the offseason to heal that injury. Was it just horrible luck that he hurt the same finger two seasons in a row? Or is there any preventative treatment or protection that can make it less vulnerable this season?

Maxey already was talking in May about using his offensive “gravity” while off the ball more frequently, and drilling those scenarios with Edgecombe as the primary ballhandler. Now, Maxey will have the opportunity to be on the receiving end of one of the best passers of all-time in James.

Maxey should be able to find plenty of moments to set screens, cut, and come off screens to attack with momentum or find space to launch three-pointers. Coach Nick Nurse said earlier this month that he also wants Maxey to keep exploring ways to score with his midrange game.

Embiid bestowed that nickname on Maxey years ago. He has earned it with his on-court ascent into an All-NBA player and, more importantly, the tone-setter and leader in the locker room.

The Sixers are adding two stars with championship experience and overall gravitas. But Maxey is the one who has been here through the roller coaster of the past six-plus years. That holds immense value while building a team aiming for a long-awaited breakthrough season.

Well, duh.

Embiid, who has played in only 96 games the previous three seasons combined, was optimistic during his end-of-season news conference that he and the Sixers have figured out how to manage his surgically repaired left knee. Bob Myers, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s president, reiterated that in early June, noting Embiid had no offseason surgeries planned. Embiid then reportedly reinforced that he feels healthy to James in his pitch to join the Sixers.

Actions over words, of course. Knee management could not negate Embiid getting popped in the oblique or appendicitis, the main culprits for his absences late last season. But when Embiid was able to play consistently from late November through early February, he looked like an All-Star.

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The Sixers are no longer going to run their entire offense through Embiid. The 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player also probably will not see as many double-teams, given the star power surrounding him.

The middle of the post should still be an area where Embiid can be fed the ball and operate. And dominate whenever the matchup dictates. It will be interesting to track the type of chemistry he can establish with James and Brown, after already creating a lethal two-man game with Maxey. Being able to complement his automatic midrange jumper with a more consistent three-pointer — he shot 33.3% from long range last season — also would provide a big boost.

Embiid said last season that he wants the ball to move and to keep teammates involved. Time to put that into practice for an entire season.

It is unrealistic to expect Embiid will ever return to his stature as an NBA Defensive Player of the Year contender. In recent seasons, he was deliberately not jumping as much for rebounds and to block shots in an effort to protect that knee.

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But can Embiid regain his mobility in space while defending the pick and roll, after the Knicks attacked him in those actions throughout that playoff series? That would benefit the aggressive defensive playmaking approach of Maxey and Edgecombe on the perimeter, and James while he likely conserves his energy on that end of the floor.

It’s easy to get hung up on Brown repeatedly calling last season with the Boston Celtics his “favorite” so far in the NBA. Sure, it was because he was the bona fide top scorer. But he also spoke publicly about helping teammates, whom outsiders expected to take a gap year while fellow star Jayson Tatum recovered from Achilles surgery, exceed expectations by finishing second in the Eastern Conference standings.

Could Brown get the same type of satisfaction in helping the Sixers finally clear that second-round hurdle? In elevating Maxey and Embiid and Edgecombe, even if it means taking a slightly more complementary role?

Unlike James, Brown did not choose the Sixers as his new playing destination. He also has not yet answered questions on this topic in a formal introductory news conference. But Brown was already calling new teammates Maxey and Edgecombe during his first Twitch live stream after the trade.

Brown is excellent at using his blend of athleticism and strength to go 1-on-1 and generate his own shots. But with the ball theoretically being more spread around with this roster makeup, Brown also should have opportunities to immediately fire off the catch.

Could we see an uptick in his three-point efficiency, after connecting on 35.8% of his 5.3 attempts per game throughout his career?

An underrated part of Brown’s game, meanwhile, is that he ranked 14th in the NBA last season in fastbreak points (3.6 per game). He can help spearhead the Sixers’ effort alongside the electric Maxey and Edgecombe — and, yes, James, who last season led the NBA in that category (5.7 per game).

Brown might not be the Sixers’ best perimeter defender, a title that belongs to fellow newcomer Dean Wade. But Brown is regarded as a two-way player. Assuming the Sixers close with their starting lineup when fully healthy — aka, will not have Wade on the floor — Brown (and Edgecombe) likely will be tasked with guarding prolific offensive players.

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If Brown’s workload dips on the offensive end — he ranked third in the NBA in usage rate last season (35.1%) — he should have more energy to dedicate on the opposite side of the floor.

There already is outside hubbub about ESPN’s Shams Charania’s reporting defining James as the Sixers’ point guard. But that is how a team leverages James’ still-elite skill, as a legendary passer even while becoming the league’s all-time scorer. The 7.2 assists he averaged last season do not capture James’ role as a connector.

James thrived in that type of facilitating role last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, paving the way for in-prime stars Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to carry the scoring load. And that playmaking and basketball IQ will hold up even as his body continues to age throughout this two-year contract with the Sixers.

James is about to enter his NBA-record 24th season, and is choosing the grueling push for another championship. He also takes maniacal care of his body, though some freak injuries cannot be fully prevented.

Like Embiid, it is most important that James is healthy for the playoffs. So don’t be surprised by the rest days, or even if his in-game minutes are slightly limited to gear up for that postseason run.

The internet is already getting glimpses of James’ 5 a.m. workouts and gym time with Maxey, his longtime friend and fellow Klutch client.

But his new Sixers teammates and staff are about to get an up-close view at how James moves through every single day. How he attacks practices and games. How he recovers on off days. How he spends down time on road trips. How he communicates in the locker room. How he handles the fanfare and media circus that follows him wherever he goes.

Those habits matter on a championship quest. And the players who have not reached the NBA’s pinnacle — even fellow stars Maxey and Embiid — should have plenty to learn.

Even before the Sixers landed James, Nurse said he wanted Edgecombe to seize more opportunities to grab the rebound and take it all the way to the basket on the opposite end. The second-year guard is an unreal athlete, and this is a way he can get easy buckets even when plays are not frequently run for him in the halfcourt offense.

As a rookie, Edgecombe already flashed an uncanny fearlessness to shake off slow shooting starts and still knock down crunch-time shots. He tied for sixth in the NBA with 12 three-pointers in “clutch” time, and shot an eye-popping 54.5% from long range in such situations.

The next step? More consistency in those opening three quarters. He is likely to get open looks, with defenses focused on the Sixers’ more proven stars.

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Yes, the Sixers’ blockbuster additions are going to move Edgecombe down the pecking order after a fantastic rookie season when he immediately brought two-way production and rare maturity in charged road environments.

But he also will play in lineups with reserves, and more scoring chances. It also is reasonable to expect Edgecombe to get increased opportunities when Embiid and/or James inevitably miss games. Even when his team was fully healthy during last season’s playoffs, Edgecombe still found a way to rise in massive moments.

Edgecombe’s time is coming. But second-year players — especially who were drafted this high — rarely get to experience the stakes of the season that awaits. And don’t underestimate what Edgecombe, who has deep respect for the game’s history, already expects to glean from being around James and Brown.