Before the Philadelphia 76ers opened up their 2026-2027 NBA season on the road against the New York Knicks, many questioned how the team would operate.
Are there too many cooks in the kitchen? It’s a valid question, but so far, the 76ers have proved that the star power can gel even with little chemistry. Therefore, the former NBA superstar DeMarcus Cousins is optimistic based on what he saw on Tuesday night.
11-Year NBA Vet’s Analysis Proves 76ers Can Silence Superteam Concerns
“I was impressed, and I was more so concerned with how everybody would have the opportunity with the basketball, and I think they did a great job of showing that balance, showing that unselfishness early, setting the tone early for a very long season, but I think the message is very clear,” Cousins said on Run It Back.
“This is a team that’s about winning a championship at the end of the year, and it’s obvious that they don’t really care, you know, whose night it is to shine.”
Cousins rattled off analysis for each of the core group. He called Tyrese Maxey an “open court firecracker.” The ex-NBA center considered LeBron James the true point forward, and said that Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown slowed the game down to make the right reads and right plays.
“So just seeing that coming from your best players on the team, guys that have done it at the highest level, and these same guys have been some of the top scorers in our league, and just to see that type of unselfish play, one, it’s got to be a good feeling for this fan base, and two, for the team, just to come out and set that tone early,” he added.
“Like I think it’s a great tone to set for this very long season. So I like what I saw. I was impressed, and the scarier part about all of it is they still have a lot of room for improvement. So this is far from a finished product.”
76ers Will Keep The Season Rolling
After the Sixers defeated the Knicks with a 106-100 win to advance to 1-0 on the season, the Sixers are going to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.
This time around, they’ll have the home-court advantage. It’s another strong test for the 76ers, considering the Cavaliers were just in the Eastern Conference Finals a few months back, but the Sixers are clearly fit for the challenges coming their way.
The 7 PM ET tip-off will give NBA fans another detailed look at the new-look 76ers.
