Can LeBron James and reloaded 76ers live up to the hype?

The Philadelphia 76ers have assembled one of the NBA’s most recognizable rosters. Whether they have built the league’s best team is a considerably harder question.

The arrival of LeBron James immediately changed the conversation surrounding the 76ers. Philadelphia was already home to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey before adding Jaylen Brown, Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. V.J. Edgecombe also gives the Sixers another young player capable of taking a significant step next season.

Place all those names on a graphic, and Philadelphia looks terrifying. Games, regrettably, are not played on graphics.

LeBron James is no longer joining teams as their savior

James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season while shooting 51.5% from the field. Those numbers would represent a career year for plenty of NBA players. For James, they are treated as evidence of decline. That is the absurd standard created by more than two decades of dominance.

Still, there is some truth behind the concern. James will turn 42 during the season and cannot be expected to drag Philadelphia through the regular season before carrying an enormous postseason workload. He remains a valuable scorer, facilitator and organizer, but this is not the same player who could overwhelm an opponent for four consecutive playoff rounds.

That is why Philadelphia’s other additions are so important.

Brown gives the Sixers another proven scorer and defender who has already played a leading role on a championship team. Simons adds perimeter shooting and offense. Caldwell-Pope, once he clears waivers, would reunite with James after helping the Lakers win the 2020 championship. He also won another title with the Denver Nuggets and understands how to contribute without requiring the offense to revolve around him.

James does not need to become his younger self again. Philadelphia needs him to choose his spots and make everybody around him better.

Philadelphia’s biggest concern has not disappeared

Any discussion about the 76ers eventually returns to Embiid’s health. It has become an annual tradition, although nobody in Philadelphia finds it particularly charming.

When healthy, Embiid remains capable of controlling a playoff series. The problem is getting him to April and May without another injury changing the team’s ceiling. Adding James and Brown should reduce his regular-season burden, but it cannot remove the physical uncertainty that has followed him throughout his career.

The Sixers also must determine how all their prominent players fit together. Maxey needs the ball. James has spent his career directing offenses. Brown will expect a substantial role, while Embiid remains the obvious interior centerpiece. There is enough talent to make the arrangement work, but somebody will have to sacrifice touches on certain nights.

The younger 76ers cannot become spectators

Maxey and Edgecombe may ultimately decide how far Philadelphia goes.

The older stars will generate the headlines, but the Sixers cannot ask James and Embiid to survive an 82-game grind by themselves. Maxey must remain aggressive rather than becoming overly deferential. Edgecombe needs to build upon his promising rookie season and give Philadelphia another athletic scorer who can handle difficult assignments.

That blend of young legs and veteran experience separates the Sixers from older superteams that simply collected famous players and hoped nostalgia would carry them.

Philadelphia has enough talent to win the Eastern Conference and challenge for a championship. It also has enough age, injury history and potential role confusion to produce a spectacular disappointment.

The hype is justified. So is the skepticism. The new-look 76ers will spend next season proving which one deserves to survive.