The Sixers got their clearest look at the LeBron-Embiid pairing Friday night, and it didn't go well. Philadelphia lost to Boston 125-120 in preseason with both stars logging heavy minutes. Coach Nick Nurse held out VJ Edgecombe, which meant more opportunities for the new superteam lineup.
The loss matters less than the message. Embiid made it clear after the game that nobody on this roster takes a backseat. That's the real story. The Sixers invested heavily to build a contender around their franchise player, and now they're figuring out how three alpha dogs coexist in the same offense.
Playing time tells you something here. Nurse pushed both Embiid and James deeper into the game than he had all preseason. That's intentional. He's testing rotations and lineups now that the roster is closer to complete. The Celtics exposed some issues, but preseason results matter less than fit and chemistry.
The ceiling is high if these guys buy in. The floor is low if the ego management becomes a problem. Embiid's comments suggest he knows the stakes. Everyone's going to have to give up something.