LeBron James has already worn a Sixers uniform in a game. But Philly still hasn’t seen him do it at home yet.

That changes Thursday, when the Cleveland Cavaliers come to town for a 7 p.m. ET matchup on ESPN. The NBA could’ve picked any opponent for Philadelphia’s home opener, but they landed on the team that drafted LeBron, watched him leave, welcomed him back, and won their first championship with him leading the way. Even before tipoff, there’s a lot to unpack.

And this isn’t just a nostalgia trip. Philadelphia spent the summer adding James and Jaylen Brown to a roster that already had Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Cleveland's coming off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance and will now get a full season with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden sharing the backcourt. League general managers picked the Sixers second and the Cavaliers third in their preseason East rankings.

It’s still October, but this should give us an early look at two teams expecting to be in the mix when the games start to matter.

A Home Opener With History

LeBron spent 11 seasons in Cleveland across the two stints and led the Cavaliers to the 2016 title. A third chapter was reportedly on the table this summer. Instead, he chose Philadelphia and called it his “last decision.” Cleveland will get their chance to welcome him back on November 6th. For now, Thursday belongs to Philly.

If you’re just catching up, these aren’t last year’s Sixers with LeBron dropped into an open spot. Maxey averaged 28.3 points last season. Brown came over from Boston after a career year. Embiid's a former MVP who can still warp an entire defense when he’s healthy. The big question is whether all of them can get what they need on the same possession without stepping on each other’s toes.

There’s plenty to be excited about, but it’s probably smart not to start planning the parade just yet. Philadelphia went 45–37 last season and got swept by the Knicks in the second round. Embiid's only played 96 regular-season games over the past three years. Four big names on a lineup card won’t magically solve the health and chemistry questions Nick Nurse has to manage.

Still, the first real test went pretty well. The Sixers beat the defending champion Knicks 106–100 in New York on Tuesday. Maxey scored 28, and James finished with a team-high seven assists. That’s an encouraging way for this group to start: LeBron didn’t have to control every possession for Philadelphia to beat a very good team.

Cleveland Has Their Own Case

The Cavaliers aren’t just extras in LeBron’s introduction. They won 52 games last season and made it through two seven-game playoff series to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals before the Knicks swept them. Cleveland then kept Mitchell, Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen together and added wing Peyton Watson. Harden got there at last season’s trade deadline, so this is the first time this group gets a full camp and a full season to figure things out together.

Mitchell's the guy who can turn a normal stretch into a scoring avalanche in a hurry. Harden can slow the game down and make a defense pick their poison between his shot, the roller, and an open teammate. Behind them, Mobley and Allen give Cleveland two big, physical defenders around the rim. Watson adds length on the wing, which is exactly the kind of player the Cavs need against a team with James and Brown.

That sets up an interesting contrast. Philadelphia has an almost ridiculous number of ways to score, but they're still figuring out who does what. Cleveland has a better feel for their own habits. Their guards can run actions they know, and their bigs can make every drive a little more uncomfortable.

The Cavs also beat the Sixers in all four meetings last season. The rosters have changed too much for that sweep to tell us much about Thursday, but Cleveland deserves more respect than the “LeBron’s old team” label.

The Possessions That Will Tell Us Something

The matchup getting hyped up is LeBron versus Mitchell. But the more interesting battle might be between the guys making decisions with the ball.

Can James get Philadelphia into good shots without Maxey, Brown, and Embiid taking turns waiting for theirs? Can Maxey attack before Cleveland’s two bigs get comfortable in the paint? And when Mitchell or Harden calls for a late screen, who in a Sixers uniform is going to keep that from turning into an easy drive or an open three?

That’s the late-game piece I’ll be watching: which team can make the other defense move twice. One star beating his man is tough enough. The better possession forces help and makes the defense scramble all over again. Philadelphia showed flashes of that against New York. Cleveland has a backcourt built to do it every night.

The home crowd will be loud for LeBron, and it should be. Seeing him introduced in Philadelphia against Cleveland is a strange, wonderful bit of NBA theater. But if the game’s tight with three minutes left, the applause won’t decide it.

The Sixers will need their stars to share the floor as well as they share the headline.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com.