Brian Windhorst Snubs LeBron James’ 76ers in Major NBA List

Brian Windhorst has been wrong before, but not often at the trade deadline. In February 2022, he reported a James Harden-Ben Simmons deal to the 76ers days before anyone else, taking heat from fans and rival insiders for it, right up until it happened exactly as he said. That track record is part of why his newest take on Philadelphia carries weight, even though most of the league won't want to hear it.

On a recent episode of "The Hoop Collective," Windhorst and colleague Vince Goodwill went through the Eastern Conference's contenders. Goodwill asked him to name the teams he felt strongly belonged in the top six.

"Maybe New York and Philly," Goodwill offered. Windhorst didn't let it stand. "I don't even have Philly on there," he said.

"I don't know how Philly's going to be," Windhorst added. "I don't know about their health." It's a pointed comment given who the Sixers just added.

LeBron James signed with Philadelphia this offseason on a two-year, $8 million deal. He joined Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown in a move billed as an instant jump into the East's upper tier.

Embiid has played through multiple injury-shortened seasons in recent years. James, at 41, enters his 24th season with his own physical questions after a year in which his durability was already a storyline in Los Angeles.

Pairing two stars with extensive injury history is exactly the kind of bet Windhorst said he isn't ready to make yet.

The 76ers aren't short on reasons to be picked. They finished last season with a 45-37 record, good for seventh in the East, and then upgraded the roster around Embiid and Maxey by adding Brown in a trade and LeBron James in free agency.

That's exactly why Windhorst's answer stood out. He wasn't questioning the talent. He questioned whether it holds up over 82 games, given the health records both of Philadelphia's stars carry into the season.

Philadelphia gets its first chance to push back on the doubt when the season tips off. Until then, Windhorst's answer is a reminder that adding star power doesn't erase the questions that come with it, no matter how the roster looks on paper.