NBA coach: LeBron James, Joel Embiid could be ‘hard to watch’ together

Not everyone around the NBA is convinced the 76ers’ new-look lineup will come together as smoothly as it looks on paper.

Speaking to Mark Medina of Fadeaway World, an anonymous NBA assistant coach questioned whether LeBron James and Joel Embiid can successfully share the floor, despite the star power Philadelphia has assembled.

“It’s scary. It can be unstoppable. Or it can be hard to watch,” the coach said.

The assistant pointed to the age and playing styles of James and Embiid, suggesting both prefer a slower, more deliberate approach that could bog down the offense.

“They’re both slow and old,” the coach said. “When you get tired and you drain the clock and are methodical and just isoing with brute force when you’re not young, spry and athletic, that can look awful.”

The coach also admitted being surprised James chose Philadelphia, noting the challenge of blending him with Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and rookie guard V.J. Edgecombe.

“This isn’t fantasy basketball,” the coach said. “It’s not that easy.”

Not everyone interviewed by Medina shared that skepticism.

Another assistant coach argued James instantly makes any team better, while acknowledging there are always questions when several star players are asked to adjust to new roles.

“LeBron makes the Sixers better,” that coach said. “He makes any team better automatically.”

Philadelphia certainly believes that’s the case.

The Sixers reshaped their roster this offseason by adding Brown and then signing James in free agency, creating what many expect to be one of the NBA’s most talented starting lineups entering the 2026-27 season.