The NBA’s schedule has finally been released. For Philadelphia 76ers fans, that means they know what the 82 games look like, where the road trips are and where the potential pitfalls lie.For a team that now has LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, this is significant, and it’s easy to see how the Sixers acquiring them influenced their schedule. The Sixers have the schedule of a glamour team. They have the schedule of a team the league expects to be in contention by the end of the season. Below, we look at the five things that stand out the most. And then, we write about them.Why LeBron James couldn't retireShakeia Taylor and Jeshua KiddPhiladelphia 76ers, welcome to the big timeBecause they signed James and traded for Brown, Philly will have 34 games broadcast by the NBA’s national television partners. They had 14 such games last season.They will have 13 back-to-backs. They had 16 last season, which tied them for the most in the league. They had 15 the year before.Welcome to having LeBron James.The league wants to see him and the Sixers as much as possible in what could be the last season of his illustrious career. The league wants him and Philly to be as fresh as possible, which could help explain the low number of back-to-backs. Among those back-to-backs are short trips, such as the flight from Philadelphia to Charlotte on Oct. 31.The schedule has challenges, for sure. When you play 34 nationally televised games, you will see good teams. Still, this is the first season in a long, long time in which the NBA is showcasing the 76ers. For Sixers fans who have endured so many seasons of relative irrelevance, this schedule must be a welcome sight.That being said…I’m surprised and borderline shocked that Philadelphia’s first game at Boston against the Celtics doesn’t come until Jan. 21. That will be Brown’s return to face his old team. It will be his first chance to face some of the people he clearly feels didn’t value him before the trade to Philadelphia.The matchup didn’t fit on opening night because that obviously had to be the New York Knicks, who will be celebrating their championship. It could arguably have been a better Christmas Day matchup than the Los Angeles Lakers, but the league prioritized James’ return to Los Angeles, which is the correct call. It probably should have been an MLK Day matchup, but that will be Philadelphia’s one trip to Atlanta.The game will be nationally televised on Prime, and it’s a hard job trying to fit every revenge game. But the Brown saga was arguably the second-biggest storyline of the summer, behind James’ free agency and eventual arrival in Philly. Not having that matchup until Jan. 21 is an interesting decision.In contrast, the Celtics face the Sixers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Nov. 10. Paul George comes back to Philadelphia early.Hard takeoffPredictably, Philadelphia’s schedule at the beginning of the season is difficult, which could lead to a slow start, which surely nobody will overreact to.After opening night at the New York Knicks, the Sixers will come home for three games. But those games are against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks (who Philly should handle) and the Detroit Pistons (who handled the Sixers last season).Eleven of Philadelphia’s opening 14 games are against teams that figure to be prominent in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. For a team that will be playing together as a unit for the first time and figuring out roles, shots and on-court chemistry, a rough start seems entirely possible.On the other hand, a fast start could signal a dominant regular season. It will be interesting to see how minutes on a suddenly deep roster are handed out. Last season, Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse had no choice but to play his starters heavy minutes. This time around, he has options.How will he use them?As was the case last season…The Sixers spend practically all of the first quarter of the season in the eastern half of the country. A one-off trip to the Houston Rockets on Nov. 28 is the only game before Christmas that will take place west of the eastern footprint. Their Christmas trip, which starts in Los Angeles, will be their first West Coast tour.Even with a bunch of games against very good teams, this is a chance for the Sixers to gain a rhythm, find their footing and find themselves. They took advantage of this last season, though injuries played a role in their final output. If they have relative health this time around, they again should take advantage.Their longest trip before Christmas is three games and includes another trip back to Cleveland for James. Short trips and home games make for a team with relatively fresh legs. The Sixers need to take advantage and win a lot of those games.LeBron and StephThe longtime friends and rivals meet twice in March, on the 24th and on the 31st. The league is taking a risk having those games so deep into the season.The first matchup against Stephen Curry and the Warriors will be the second night of a back-to-back for the Sixers, meaning James might not be available. Most of the schedule will be complete by then, which means many things could happen. The Warriors could slip lower into the play-in picture, or even out of the playoff picture, and the Sixers could be on cruise control, attempting to get their roster right for a playoff run — or, those two games could be significant in the standings.If this matchup were part of the Christmas trip, it would be more of a lock that both stars would be available and on the floor. That’s what we want. There are only so many LeBron/Steph matchups remaining. The world definitely wants to see them on the floor.