How do the new-look 76ers match up with the equally new rival Celtics?
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The Philadelphia 76ers have dominated the offseason headlines due to the major moves they have made to the roster between acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics, signing LeBron James in free agency, and adding to their depth with solid moves. The busy summer has put Philadelphia in a great position to end a lot of long playoff droughts in 2027.
With that being said, it's time to go deeper into the Eastern Conference. The season continues to approach rather quickly, and the Sixers will have some work to do in order to nail down chemistry and cohesion, while other teams will have that aspect down pat.
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In this edition, Sixers Wire has teamed up with Justin Quinn of Celtics Wire to break down this matchup as Philadelphia moves into the new season:
How do you see Paul George meshing with Jayson Tatum in Boston?
JQ, Celtics Wire: This likely is not news to many given where PG13 is in his career and general availability throughout the season, but in a complimentary role, even though he will likely start most games he plays. At this stage, George is well-suited for the gig, and will provide high-level 3-and-D in the 50ish games he suits up, probably around 25 minutes a night. When he doesn't play, it will open up space for Boston's youth movement, and the Celtics are very accustomed to keeping older vets healthy and ready to contribute in the postseason.
Ky Carlin, Sixers Wire: Honestly, they should fit like a glove. George has continued to show that he can still play this game at a rather high level and his defensive ability will make life easier for Boston at times. He can still knock down catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and he had a very good playoff run for the Sixers against both Boston and New York. He and Tatum should find a way to make all of this work seamlessly.
Where do we see Jaylen Brown in the Philly hierarchy?
JQ, Celtics Wire: Honestly, I think it will change fairly often based on the health of some of the older vets like LeBron James and of course Joel Embiid in terms of touches. In terms of role, he will likely play more with said older players, leaving the youth movement in Philly to play a more transition-oriented brand of ball (though he'll be a factor in that at times as well, depending on the opponent). I suspect he's going to be a second or third option most nights, but Nick Nurse will let him cook when he is feeling it.
KC, Sixers Wire: There will be ups and downs in terms of figuring out the hierarchy, but when it’s all said and done, Brown probably fits into that No. 2 slot. This is Tyrese Maxey’s team. Therefore, Maxey will be that top option while Brown and everybody else falls into place. With that being said, Brown will have his nights when he’s the top option and the rest of the top guys will fall into place. The Sixers will then adjust on the fly. As Maxey stated in an interview with HoopsHype, there can be no egos.
With the additions of Brown and James, are the Sixers the favorites in the East?
JQ, Celtics Wire: Bluntly, they are not. If they had (or acquire) more reliable frontcourt depth, they could be by the end of the season. But history tells us that they need a different look in the frontcourt even if Embiid stays healthy. And history tells us that he will not, even if we're all pulling for him to put the injury-prone tag behind him.
KC, Sixers Wire: I’m not even remotely worried about the question of frontcourt depth. When Embiid misses games, and he inevitably will, move James to the 5. Have Adem Bona step in. Ariel Hukporti will get a look. Coach Nick Nurse then moves Dean Wade into the lineup or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or even Anfernee Simons. The addition of James changes my view on the backup center spot due to the fact that he literally can still do everything out on the basketball court. He hasn’t played much center in any of the last two seasons, but it’s an option.
Who starts at center for Boston? Mitchell Robinson or Neemias Queta? And can they seriously hold down a somewhat healthy Joel Embiid?
JQ, Celtics Wire: I think Queta will be better against Embiid than he was in the playoffs, thinking back to how Robert Williams III found his sea legs from a similar postseason collision with the Sixers big man. But Robinson (who has his own health concerns) ought to do enough to take away the best of Embiid near the basket. As to who starts, the best argument I've heard is to have Robinson start so Boston won't have him on the floor in the bonus, but ceding the bulk of the minutes to Queta. That said, Queta has also shown enough to get the nod to start the season at least.
KC, Sixers Wire: Queta did the best job against Embiid when considering Boston only had Nikola Vucevic and Luka Garza as other options. Other than that, he had foul problems and was unable to handle the 2023 MVP winner at a high level. One has to wonder if coach Joe Mazzulla will turn to Robinson more often than not when they match up with Philadelphia. With that said, I was impressed with Queta's Game 7 performance. He was terrific in that matchup.
The Celtics had trouble slowing down Maxey and Edgecombe in the 2025-26 season. How do you project that defensive matchup to go in the upcoming season for them?
JQ, Celtics Wire: As it tends to in general, it goes poorly if they get into transition. But matching Robinson's minutes to dominate the boards and minimizing turnovers more generally have been and will continue to be the Celtics' best answer to preventing Philly from attacking downhill before they can get their defense set. The 76ers are not bad as a jump shooting team, but letting Maxey and Edgecombe get hot in transition is death to any team.
KC, Sixers Wire: The Celtics are going to see Maxey and Edgecombe in their nightmares for years. This, to me, is the most exciting part of Philadelphia’s development as a team. The growth of the Maxey-Edgecombe duo in the backcourt is going to be so intriguing for years to come due to the fact that they’re both so quick, so smart, can get to the basket whenever, and can knock down open looks. Now, Mazzulla will throw a bunch of schemes at them, but one has to believe they’ll figure it out.
Are the Celtics still a top 4 team in the East?
JQ, Celtics Wire: A week ago, this would be almost a laughable question and an easy yes given the team that secured the two seed added the league's best offensive rebounder in Mitchell Robinson while swapping Brown for Tatum, effectively. Yes, the rest of the East also got better, but it wasn't until the rosters of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat started to come together in recent days that I feel less sure. I think those two clubs and Boston have a fairly high degree of variance built in, with Boston having the highest floor. But if either Miami or Cleveland click and stay healthy, it will be tough to finish with home court given the New York Knicks are still formidable even without Robinson, and the Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors and of course Sixers all a threat to push them down the standings -- especially given the Cs' brutal November schedule.
KC, Sixers Wire: I don’t think so. I’m much higher on Detroit than others–I’m not sure why people are putting them down–but the Pistons figure to remain in the top 4 alongside the Knicks and Cavaliers, and I’ll throw the Sixers in there at the moment. I think Philadelphia will have its bumps to start, as does any James team in his first year there, but the Sixers will go on a surge in January and February as they nail down chemistry and such. As far as the Celtics are concerned, they’re going to be a good team. It’s not like they’re going to completely fall off the map. It will just depend on what George can give them over the course of the 82 games.
Are the Sixers able to win it all?
JQ, Celtics Wire: As you might guess regarding my take on if Philly is the favorite in the East, not as currently constructed. Even with a healthy Embiid, they need another look in the frontcourt, to say nothing of that gem that is a clean bill of health Philly will need for The Process to validate that nickname.
KC, Sixers Wire: They are. When a team has LeBron James, they’re going to have a chance. However, this isn’t the same Eastern Conference from when James last played for the Cavs in 2018. The East is tough from top to bottom with the defending champion Knicks, the Pistons, the Cavs, the Pacers, the Heat, and others. With that being said, the Sixers will certainly be in the mix.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: How do the new-look 76ers match up with the equally new rival Celtics?