After defeating the defending-champion New York Knicks on Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers were back in action against the Hornets in Charlotte on Saturday night. Stars Joel Embiid and LeBron James were both ruled out of the game for Philadelphia, but the Sixers were still able to pull out a 109-104 win to move to 6-1 on the season.

Here's a look at three studs and one dud from Philadelphia's win in Charlotte.

Stud: Tyrese Maxey

Tyrese Maxey continued his streak of stellar play to star the season. He dropped a season-high 38 points in Charlotte, including 15 points in the fourth quarter to help propel the Sixers to victory without James and Embiid. He also added four rebounds and four assists in the game.

Tyrese doing Tyrese things 🤷

38 PTS | 4 REB | 4 AST @PALottery pic.twitter.com/YIkOCdYx6e

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 1, 2026

Maxey was named Second Team All-NBA for the first time in his career last season, and he's picked up this season right where he left off last season. He's clearly established himself as Philadelphia's primary scoring threat, even with all of the other talent on the roster, and Saturday night was his most impressive performance of the season, so far.

Dud: Jaylen Brown

This isn't to say that Brown was bad against Charlotte. He wasn't. He tallied 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, which is an objectively productive performance. But Brown also had three turnovers, missed both of his attempts from beyond the arc and shot just 6-of-15 from the field.

In a game where both Embiid and James were sidelined, you'd think Brown would step up, be assertive and shoulder more of the scoring load. But, that didn't really happen. Brown looked disjointed and out of rhythm at times and he forced some shots that weren't really in the flow of the offense. He's going to need to be better for the Sixers moving forward, especially in games that they're shorthanded.

Stud: Anfernee Simons

Anfernee Simons continues to impress off of the bench for Philadelphia, as he tallied 19 points and two assists in 25 minutes in Charlotte on Saturday night. He's provided a huge spark for the Sixers in each of the last three games, giving the team reliable floor-spacing and point production.

Anfernee Simons last three games for the #Sixers:

19 points, 5 3-pointers
21 points, 5 3-pointers
20 points, 6 3-pointers

— Michael K-B (@therealmikekb) November 1, 2026

Opposing defenses already have so many weapons to worry about in Philadelphia's first five. Having another guy that can come in off the bench and drop 20-plus on any given night just makes things that much more difficult for other teams. So far, Simons has proven to be worth every bit of the two-year, $12 million deal that he signed with the Sixers in the summer.

Stud: Jabari Walker

After missing the past three games due to a knee injury, Jabari Walker returned to the active lineup for Philadelphia against Charlotte, and he wasted little time in turning in a productive performance. Walker played 19 minutes in the game and tallied 12 points and six rebounds, including two on the offensive glass. The Sixers have been extremely thin in the frontcourt, so Walker's return was a welcome sight for the franchise.