Why the 76ers' Bench Will Determine Their Ceiling

When many look at what makes championship teams successful, the obvious answers come up – good health, star players, strong chemistry. But what is often overlooked is the importance of a team's bench.

When starters inevitably miss time or have a rough shooting night, help is required from the guys outside of the starting five.

Injuries will force the bench to step up

The 76ers employ one of the league's most injury-prone players, Joel Embiid, while also boasting the oldest NBA player on their roster, LeBron James. For any player–especially those two–the wear and tear of an 82-game grind takes a grueling toll.

Inserting fresh players off the bench not only offers opponents different looks but also helps preserve the starters. While the stars are tasked with carrying the bulk of the load, reserves often switch up the game's pace and build momentum.

Sturdy production from the Sixers' bench has been a struggle for the team over the last few years. They finished 25th and 27th in bench scoring during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, respectively.

Despite lackluster production from the secondary unit, the starting lineup ranked in the top half of the league – sixth in points in 2025-26 and 14th in 2024-25. The drastic disparity magnifies the fall-off between the two groups.

The bench is needed to win

It isn't atypical for teams to excel more with their opening five on the court. But the bench's struggles to sustain or build upon the starters' momentum have come back to bite them on numerous occasions.

Embiid missed 44 games last season with injuries, while Paul George missed 45 games, 25 of which were due to suspension. Two starters missing more than half a season is less than ideal for any team with championship aspirations.

Along with Embiid's health, another key point to monitor is LeBron's mileage at 41 years old.

The Sixers will ostensibly take a strategic approach with James this season, likely including buying some rest on back-to-backs or limiting minutes.

The good news for Philly is that the team's bench is now better suited to step up than it was in years past.

New and improved bench

The 76ers have added great sharpshooting talent in Anfernee Simons, a veteran 3-and-D presence in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and young versatility in rookie Labaron Philon Jr.