Tyrese Maxey says LeBron James has helped set a new tone for the Philadelphia 76ers, and the early results back that up.
Philadelphia is 8-1 to open the season, and while the numbers don’t jump off the page - the 76ers rank 20th in points per game at 110 a night - they keep finding ways to win. The common thread has been a more shared, more balanced approach, with Maxey at the center but far from carrying everything alone.
That load has been spread around. Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, James, and even V.J.
Edgecombe have all had stretches where they’ve been able to take over. On Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons, Brown delivered the biggest punch with 30 points in a game that doubled as revenge, since Detroit is the only team to beat Philadelphia so far.
Maxey pointed to James as a major reason the group has bought into that unselfish style. In his 24th NBA season, James has brought veteran authority and, more importantly, a willingness to share the ball that Maxey says has rubbed off on everyone else.
"All the ego stuff and the one-ball stuff that we hear, it's going to be okay because LeBron's here, and he has made everybody willing passers. When LeBron can be a willing passer, the rest of us can too," Maxey said after the 76ers win against the Pistons.
It’s still early - only nine games in - and plenty can change. But right now, the 76ers look comfortable playing this way, and that has them in the mix when the conversation turns to championship contenders.
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