Dr. J Reacts to LeBron, Jaylen Brown Joining 76ers and Sounds Off on NBA Title Chances

While Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving believes the team improved this offseason, he's not immediately crowning them NBA champions.

Erving told TMZ Sports he gave the Sixers a "thumbs up" for the Jaylen Brown trade, adding they will be "one of the most talented teams." The Hall of Famer does, however, have some questions about a lineup that includes 41-year-old LeBron James and 21-year-old VJ Edgecombe.

"There's a big age discrepancy between the youngest, you know, which is VJ, and LeBron," he said. "So how that works, it remains to be seen."

Erving compared the roster to experimenting with a new dish in the kitchen you've never tried.

"You're trying to create something special. You're trying to create something," he said. "You go in the kitchen and you mix the ingredients, and then once you put fire under there, you see whether it's going to be good, great, or OK."

Erving's assessment probably represents the general consensus on Philadelphia.

On paper, a starting five of James, Brown, Edgecombe, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey is the best in the NBA. Getting all of the pieces to fit together could be tricky, though, when four of the five are accustomed to working on the ball.

Philly is also hedging a lot of its hopes on Embiid staying healthy, which is a familiar concern. The team's ceiling changes if he's not on the floor because there's a steep drop between he and backup center Adem Bona.

The Sixers have the talent to challenge the New York Knicks for the Eastern Conference crown. Still, NBA superteams haven't fared well in recent years, so it won't be a complete shock if the experiment proves to be a bust.