Whenever future Hall of Famer LeBron James is involved, fans and pundits flock to the scene. As the 41-year-old enters his 24th NBA season, all eyes will be focused on his first campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers.
In addition to James, Philadelphia also acquired All-Star Jaylen Brown in an offseason trade with the Boston Celtics. The two will join Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and former MVP Joel Embiid as they try to lift the 76ers to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2001.
James has already made his commute to The City of Brotherly Love a source of intrigue, and it is clear that the franchise’s impending journey will be anything but boring.
“I didn’t leave my family (in Los Angeles) to lose in the second round,” James told Joe Vardon of The Athletic late last month. “I know that for sure. Work needs to be done, and I’m ready to get to work.”
LeBron James will serve as one of the 76ers' key facilitators
Much of James’ time with the Los Angeles Lakers included conversations regarding how he would be able to mesh with teammates and vice versa. This became especially true once Luka Doncic joined the fray.
There will be similar conversations once the regular season begins, but it could be argued that James’ fit may make more sense with the Sixers, especially at this point of his career.
Brown and Embiid are both players who are best served with the ball in their hands. While James can certainly still score when needed, his best trait may be his ability to read the court and make timely passes that set up teammates to convert easy lay-ins or drain 3-pointers.
According to Cleaning the Glass, James ranked in the 99th percentile in terms of Assist percentage last season. To put the significance of this into perspective, the 76ers ranked 27th in terms of assists per game last season.
Maxey led last year’s squad with 6.6 assists per game, and Edgecombe was not far behind with 4.2 dimes per contest. James will undoubtedly carry some of this responsibility for the unit, and may be their most deadly catalyst.
James’ total workload and durability could come into question during the campaign, but when he’s on the court, Philadelphia’s offense will have a different flow than last year.
Joel Embiid will run hot and cold for the 76ers
As Embiid enters a fresh season, few expect him to play a full slate. This is not to say that the 32-year-old will have an injury-plagued year, but it would not be outlandish to assume that the Sixers will try to manage his workload with extreme care. Given this reality, Embiid could be streaky when he does make appearances.
As evidenced in the team’s final preseason game against the Celtics, the Yaounde native still possesses elite offensive skills. Across 29 minutes, Embiid put up a team-high 27 points along with eight rebounds and five assists.
It would not be fair to expect this productivity on a nightly basis, even if Embiid remains mostly healthy during the year. But the seven-time All-Star has enough left in the tank to have stretches where he resembles his prime form.
Nick Nurse will receive Coach of the Year votes for how he handles an intriguing bench
Along with Embiid, it may not be realistic to expect James to remain entirely healthy. As a result, bench forces like Dean Wade, Caleb Love, and Jabari Walker will all receive opportunities to make an impact.
Article Continues BelowWith two of the team’s four stars all but expected to miss time at one point or another, Nurse will have to shuffle his rotations in an Eastern Conference that will be more competitive than it was last season.
Other coaches may receive more praise for overachieving with rosters that are not expected to make deep playoff runs, but some may ultimately be moved to give Nurse his flowers for dealing with a myriad of moving parts.
VJ Edgecombe will have ups and downs for 76ers
The Bimini native enjoyed a strong freshman year in Philadelphia. Across 75 games, he averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting around 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from distance.
“VJ has gotten better every single day,” Maxey told Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “He grows as a player every single day. His mind grows, athleticism, he grows. He wasn't dunking–he was dunking last year, but he wasn't dunking like this. He got a little bit stronger, a little more confident, and I'm excited to step on the court.”
Despite the progress that the former first-round pick has made, it would be hard to envision him evading any future bumps or bruises. The impending expectations are far more serious than last season’s, and his new teammates bring a brand of championship pedigree that will demand the second-year player to grow into his own skin.
Edgecombe will shine from time to time, but there will also be instances where the moment becomes too fierce. The 21-year-old will find himself in intense situations, and his growth could become a major talking point as the 76ers begin their quest to successfully go “all in” on their title hopes.