While the rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers
tends to get the lion's share of the attention in the national NBA media, the enmity between the Philadelphia 76ers and Celtics is at least as intense (and nearly as old). And the events of the 2026 NBA offseason have added renewed life to the rivalry between these two Atlantic Division foes in the wake of the trade of star forward Jaylen Brown to the Sixers.That it helped bring longtime Boston nemesis LeBron James from the Lakers to Philly adds another layer, as did the Celtics' exit from the 2026 playoffs at the hands of the 76ers. But how good is each team, really, in light of an improving Eastern Conference? Can either ball club make a real run at a title? And how will each team fit
together with all these new moving parts?
To get an idea of all of the above, the Celtics Wire sat down with Sixers Wire editor Ky Carlin for some advance scouting on both teams ahead of the start of their next campaign, so let's dive into what we saw.
How do you see Paul George meshing with Jayson Tatum in Boston?
Ky Carlin: 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.
Justin Quinn: 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.
Where do we see Jaylen Brown in the Philly hierarchy?
KC: 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.
JQ: Honestly, I think it will change often based on the health of the older vets like LeBron James and 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 a more transition-oriented brand of ball (though he'll be a factor in that 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.
With the additions of Brown and James, are the Sixers the favorites in the East?
KC: 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.
JQ: 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.
Who starts at center for Boston? Mitchell Robinson or Neemias Queta? And can they hold down a somewhat healthy Joel Embiid?
KC: 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.
JQ: 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.
The Celtics had trouble slowing down Maxey and Edgecombe in the 2025-26 season. How do you project that defensive matchup to go for them in the upcoming season?
KC: 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.
JQ: As it tends to, poorly if they get into transition. But matching Robinson's minutes to dominate the boards and minimizing turnovers has 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.
Are the Celtics still a top-four team in the East?
KC: 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.
JQ: A week ago, this would be an easy yes given the team that secured the two seed in 2026-27 added the league's best offensive rebounder in Mitchell Robinson while swapping Brown for Tatum, effectively. Yes, the rest of the East got better, but it wasn't until the rosters of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat came together in recent days that I felt 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.
Are the Sixers able to win it all?
KC: 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.
JQ: 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.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Scouting the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the 2026-27 NBA regular season
