LeBron Makes Sixers Immediate Title Contenders
NBA commissioner Adam Silver can now get his schedule completed. Silver admitted to waiting until LeBron James decided which team he would join, before having the schedule released.
James chose the 76ers and one can almost bet that the Sixers will be on national television quite a bit. You can book a Christmas game, either against Boston or James’ former Los Angeles Lakers or even the defending champion NY Knicks, who ousted the Sixers in four straight second-round playoff games.
For a Sixers team that last won an NBA title in 1983, there is legitimate optimism with James’ arrival.
What is even crazier is that James, who earned more than $50 million last season with the Los Angeles Lakers according to Spotrac.com, will be playing with the Sixers for the veteran minimum of $3.87 million. James agreed to a two-year deal totaling $8 million, with the second year a player option, according to Spotrac.
The reason the Sixers couldn’t pay him more than that total was due to their salary cap situation.
James, who some has estimated is a billionaire, said in the weeks before he signed, that his happiness meant the most and he wasn’t chasing dollars.
His actions backed this up.
He has won four NBA championship – two with Miami, one with Cleveland and one with the Los Angeles Lakers, his employer the past eight seasons.
Now he joins a Sixers team that if healthy – and that is a big if – could have the best starting lineup in the NBA.
A look at the Sixers starters
The projected starting five of James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey has combined to earn 36 All-Star appearances. The breakdown: James (22), Embiid (7), Brown (5) and Maxey (2).
The backcourt of Maxey and VJ Edgecombe might be the most athletic in the NBA and that is saying something.
Brown and Edgecombe are above average defenders.
James, who turns 42 in December, is among the most intelligent players in NBA history. He might not be the best player in the NBA, as he was during so many years of his career, but James is still arguably a Top 20 player.
Just last season, here is what James did in 10 playoff games, leading the Lakers to a series victory over the Houston Rockets before being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With injured Luka Doncic missing the playoffs and Austin Reaves available for six games, James carried the Lakers.
He averaged 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 38.4 minutes.
Does this look like somebody who is slowing down?
Skeptics are going to wonder how these five starters will be happy with only one basketball to share?
Great players can adapt and there is no doubt there will be an adjustment period. Still, James will make things easier for everybody.
He is one of the great passers still in today’s NBA. For his career he has averaged 7.4 assists. As recently as last year he averaged 7.2 assists.
He knows how to get everybody involved.
What about Embiid?
Durability has never been a strength of Embiid. He has played a total of 96 games in the last three seasons. Embiid is no longer a major defensive presence, but he can still score.
Last year he averaged 26.9 points in 31.6 minutes during 38 regular season games. During the playoffs, he averaged 24 points in 33.1 minutes, but missed four games due to injury.
With the addition of James and Brown, when Embiid misses games, it won’t be such a huge gap to fill. Embiid no longer has to carry the team. That should take some weight off him.
Can Maxey Adapt to Lesser Rose?
Of course. Last year Maxey led the NBA in minutes played, averaging 38 per contest. He looked exhausted late in the season. During the playoffs, he averaged 39.7 minutes. When he wasn’t on the court, the team failed to generate consistent offense. Again, with Brown and James, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Look for Maxey’s minutes and scoring (28.3 ppg.) to decrease and his effectiveness to increase
Brown’s Impact
Brown is coming off his best statistical season, averaging 28.7 points. Boston was supposed to struggle with Jayson Tatum out most of the season recovering from a torn Achilles, but Brown picked up the scoring slack. Boston had the second best record in the Eastern Conference (before losing to the Sixers in the first round).
Brown isn’t known as a knockdown three-point shooter, but he shot .347 from beyond the arc. (The NBA average was 35.5).
He might not be an elite defender, but Brown, who turns 30 in October, can still guard wings effectively. Behind Edgecombe, he is likely the second-best defender in the Sixers starting lineup.
Some point out that Brown was the main man last year in Boston and that he won’t want to relinquish that role. He was an NBA champion and finals MVP in 2024 and knows what it takes to win. At this stage of his career, he is not worried about stats, and he also will have a major chip on his shoulder and will be out to show Boston that it make a huge mistake by unloading him.
What is Edgecombe’s role?
He will be the Sixers top defender and also somebody who can be an effective scorer. Edgecombe averaged 16 points as a rookie and was far from the focal point of the offense. The same will be the case this year, but he is a killer in transition and will make his own opportunities. And even with all the veteran stars, Edgecombe is not afraid to take the big shot. After his outstanding rookie year, many have penciled Edgecombe as a future all-star. It may not happen this year, but if he is No. 5 option in an offense, that is quite an offense.
What about the bench
Anferee Simons is a sniper off the bench, who averaged 14.3 points for Boston and Chicago combined last year. He will never make an All-Defensive team, but he can put plenty of pressure on opponents with his offensive game.
Dean Wade, signed as a free agent from Cleveland, will likely play a lot of minutes. At 6-9, is a solid defender and somebody who will provide plenty of intangibles.
Should We Order Championship Rings?
Not so fast. The Sixers have to become more consistent shooting the three and they are a below average defensive unit. There are plenty of things to work out, but there is the talent to certainly contend in an upgraded Eastern Conference.
Sixers X/Twitter
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Author: Marc Narducci
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