The Philadelphia 76ers have played just two of their first four games of the 2026-27 NBA season with their full starting lineup. Star forward LeBron James missed the third game of the season for Philly, while Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe were both sidelined for the fourth contest against the Detroit Pistons.

But, it looks like the Sixers' first five will be back at full strength when they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers on Wednesday night.

VJ Edgecombe returns to practice for 76ers after missing game due to abdominal contusion

After missing the game against Detroit due to an abdominal contusion, Edgecombe was back to being a full participant at practice for Philly on Tuesday, indicating that he could be good to go for the game against Indiana. In addition, he was left off of the injury report for Wednesday's contest.

This is obviously good news for Philly, as Edgecombe has been excellent at doing all the small stuff for the Sixers this season, even though his stats aren't eye-popping. In the three games that he's played so far, Edgecombe has averaged 12.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 32.7 minutes per performance.

Edgecombe could prove to be especially valuable for the Sixers against Indiana, as they could use him to defend star guard Tyrese Haliburton for stretches of the game. Haliburton is an elite offensive initiator and creator, and he's been having a very solid season so far after missing the entirety of the '25-26 season due to a torn Achilles. But, Edgecombe's combination of size, speed and athleticism could work to make things difficult on the two-time All-Star.

76ers' expected starting lineup on Wednesday vs. Pacers

1. Tyrese Maxey, 2. VJ Edgecombe (missed last contest), 3. Jaylen Brown, 4. LeBron James (sat out two games ago), and 5. Joel Embiid (missed last content)

With their full starting lineup available, the Sixers should match up well with the Pacers. Embiid will be able to dominate the paint with Ivica Zuba hurt for Indiana, while LeBron James and/or Jaylen Brown will be able to make things difficult for Pascal Siakam, who is leading the Pacers in scoring on the season at 23.5 points per performance.

The game between Philadelphia and Indiana will be the first of four meetings between the two teams on the season. The teams will also play twice in November: once in Philadelphia on Nov. 15 and then back in Indiana for an NBA Cup Group Stage game on Nov. 27. The fourth and final regular season game between the teams will take place in Philadelphia on Jan. 19.