LeBron James, Edgecomb and Embiid.
LeBron James, Edgecomb and Embiid.
The Philadelphia 76ers shocked the NBA world this offseason when they signed the league's all-time leading scorer LeBron James to a two-year deal worth nearly eight million dollars. The deal was surprisingly low for James, who remained effective last season with the Los Angeles Lakers and still appears to have plenty of gas in his tank based on offseason workout videos.
The 76ers' signing of the 41-year-old forward has renewed hope and optimism for a run at an NBA championship, which would be the team's first since 1983, before James was born.
Video game fans have begun playing and simulating seasons on the popular console title NBA 2K27, which came out today after it was released to early access customers on Aug. 26.
Each year, the game's ratings are a hot topic among NBA fans, and this year's edition is no different. James maintained a lofty rating heading into the 2026-27 NBA season this October, but will his rating hold up the entire season? The prediction here is that James' rating will eventually change, along with two other Sixers players, before the year is finished.
Here are the players who fans should expect a ratings fluctuation from:
1. LeBron James (91 OVR, 76 3PT):
James appears to have beaten father time based on his statistical outputs and record-setting feats on the court, but reality is starting to set in.
James isn't just 41 years old, he's 41 years old with the mileage of 19 playoff seasons, over 300 playoff games, under his belt. James was given a 91 overall rating in NBA 2K27 and a 76 three-point rating, both of which I expect will change before the end of the year.
James played in 60 games last season, a sign that his body is having a hard time adjusting to the wear-and-tear of a full 82-game season. I expect James' rating to drop about three points by the time this year is finished as he struggles to meet his past standards.
James will become more of a spot-up shooter and focus on saving his energy for defense and rebounding while allowing teammates like Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecomb to do most of the scoring.
I expect James to shoot a better percentage than the 31.7% clip he shot at last season due in large part to the attention Embiid and his teammates will draw in the paint.
James came up as a slasher and facilitator during his first NBA stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers and evolved into an outside shooter. I expect him to pick his spots more this season and focus more on shooting which will help his three-point rating to increase three or four points on NBA 2K27.
James has been incorporating new training methods into his offseason program, which could help extend his NBA shelf life, but for now, I expect a bit of a drop-off.
2. VJ Edgecomb (83 OVR):
Edgecomb is the Sixers' sixth highest rated player after Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, James and Embiid, but he has the youth and talent to ramp his game up a few notches.
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Edgecomb showed out with The Bahamas during FIBA World Qualifiers and appears invigorated by the additions of Brown and James.
The exciting young combo guard had a high usage rate that is expected to drop this season, but I don't expect that to be a problem for him as he is one of the Eastern Conference's most versatile guards.
Edgecomb was given an 83 overall rating on NBA 2K27 which seems low given his considerable talents and strong statistical performance on a mostly overmatched 76ers team last season.
Expect Edgecomb to vault into the 85-87 overall range by the time the 2026-27 NBA season is over, announcing himself as a player to watch in the coming years and a scoring guard with outrageously high potential.
3. Joel Embiid (91 OVR):
Embiid, now 32 years old, is coming off of another short season that nevertheless saw him average 26.9 points per game over the course of 38 outings. The former MVP has been one of the most injury-plagued players in the league over his NBA tenure but it has given him a sense of perspective that he can put to good use in 2026-27.
With Brown and a 41-year-old James on the team, Embiid knows his personal championship window is closing. Embiid is a gentle giant who takes pride in his reputation and legacy.
If he can stay reasonably healthy, I expect him to have one of the most efficient and effective seasons of his NBA career. He probably won't approach his career high of 34.7 points set in 2023-24, but fans won't notice if he does enough to help the 76ers win enough games and challenge for first place in the Eastern Conference.
I expect Embiid to help the 76ers do just that, while battling the defending champion New York Knicks for conference, and NBA, supremacy.
The 76ers' star center will watch his overall rating jump two to three points or more before the end of the season as fans begin to remember what the MVP Embiid looked like during his NBA prime.