October 21, 2026
Brad Penner/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
2026 NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson was flummoxed by the Sixers' new-look defense on Tuesday.
NEW YORK – Joel Embiid played in three of the Sixers' four losses during last season's second-round sweep against the New York Knicks. The Sixers allowed 143.9 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor – a number so high it sounds made up. The next-worst non-Sixer in that round was Austin Reaves; the Los Angeles Lakers allowed 129.0 points per 100 possessions during his minutes. For Embiid's Defensive Rating to have been that high was nearly incomprehensible. It was the punctuation of a dramatic two-year decline on that end of the floor for a player once considered among the NBA's elite defenders.
In 33 minutes with Embiid on the floor in Tuesday's season-opening win over the New York Knicks, the Sixers allowed 84.7 points per 100 possessions.
At face value, the biggest changes for the Sixers were the new faces: it was Jaylen Brown knocking down a remarkable buzzer-beating three to give the Sixers momentum heading into the fourth quarter, it was LeBron James grabbing a game-sealing defensive rebound to cap off a strong second half. But even after adding those two household names amid a transformational offseason, nothing will do more to impact this team's chances of doing something special than Embiid experiencing a defensive resurgence.
"I felt good," Embiid said after the game. "I think this year’s going to be back to All-Defensive Team like in the past. So, felt good. Moving great. Felt like I was all over the place, so I need to do that every game."
The Sixers' defense held up fine in an ugly first half, keeping them afloat amid a shaky offensive showing. But Sixers head coach Nick Nurse made an adjustment that triggered an elite half of two-way basketball from his team.
Embiid, already dealing with three fouls, moved off of Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns. James, 41 years old but still plenty strong, slid up to the five. Embiid roamed as Josh Hart's defender, daring New York's weakest shooter to beat the Sixers from beyond the arc.
The result: New York only mustered 42 points after intermission. It was the least likely outcome imaginable: a Sixers team with zero continuity and questionable defensive personnel got stop after stop against the defending champions, suffocating everything they tried to do.
Jaylen Brown intercepts the pass by Karl-Anthony Towns and lobs it to LeBron James for the dunk.
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) October 21, 2026
KAT turns the ball over again, and Brown with the 360 pass to LeBron for the layup (with replays).
Brown also mimicked D-Wade's famous photo with LeBron a bit, I think. pic.twitter.com/RgDTqbhEge
After the Sixers practiced on Tuesday, Nurse discussed the merits of inverting the power forward and center assignments, a common tactic against the Knicks.
"I think we talked about that yesterday or the day before," Nurse said after the game. "Kind of common to put a four man on KAT, because there’s so many pick-and-rolls with him and [Jalen] Brunson that gives you some versatility to play some other coverages. I think it was good... Over the long haul, it was very good for us, I think."
The potential upside of this adjustment was clearly on Nurse's mind. But after a decent defensive half guarding straight-up, a different voice made itself heard.
"I suggested that to the guys, the coaching staff," Embiid said, "because I just felt like the way they were calling fouls, I just felt like I wasn't – and I was just being honest – I wasn't going to be as aggressive as I should be on defense, having three fouls, wanting to stay on the floor. I just told them I thought we should do that. It was great."
Embiid: "PJ Tucker was the last one that we had who could do that, that can switch off and guard those bigger guys in the post. Last year we had PG, but PG, he did a great job, but he's a little light." https://t.co/ukzZpBUlNp
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) October 21, 2026
James did his job and more defending one of the game's most prolific offensive bigs. "I mean, this is all a team effort," the NBA's all-time leading scorer said, but his second-half performance was absolutely critical to Tuesday's win. The Sixers have spent three weeks discussing the importance of committing to defense; if these players get stops they will sleepwalk into loads of points.
For three years, Nurse has had to scratch and claw for every potential advantage as he has navigated injuries and poor depth. Now, he finds himself with more talent than he knows what to do with. After the 2026-27 Sixers notched their first win, he once again praised the group's selflessness and togetherness.
"It's been fun," Nurse said. "These first few weeks have been fun. These guys, seriously, they’ve been really great."
As opening night neared, the Sixers cautioned that the first game of 82 for a team with plenty of new faces would not tell the whole story. They are a ways away from being where they need to be, they have cautioned. James repeated that line after the victory. But perhaps this team's starting point is far more advanced than it previously thought.
"I think it was just okay," Brown said. "We've got a lot of room for growth, room for improvement. So I'm looking forward to building with my teammates. But it's always good when you can win and learn at the same time."
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