The 76ers’ LeBron James plan may already be drifting into unexpected territory.
When Philadelphia won the “bidding war” for James, the obvious pitch was simple: add one of the best closers and playmakers the league has ever seen. Instead, the conversation has taken a strange turn. Nick Nurse has apparently considered James as a possible answer to the team’s backup center situation, a wrinkle that would have sounded absurd before the season.
According to The Philly Voice’s Adam Aaronson, Nurse said James is a candidate to help stabilize the center rotation behind Joel Embiid, Adem Bona, Dominick Barlow, and Jabari Walker. That’s not exactly the role anyone had in mind when the 76ers brought him in, but the roster’s thin big-man depth is forcing the issue.
James, of course, has done this before. During the 2021-22 season with the Lakers, he spent 50 percent of his court time as the nominal center. That stretch came with Anthony Davis limited to 40 games, while Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan were no longer reliable options.
Philadelphia’s situation is pushing it toward a similar kind of experiment. With limited availability among the backup bigs and Ariel Hukporti out for the season, the 76ers are at least looking at whether James could fill minutes at the five.
That doesn’t mean it’s a clean fit. James is 41, and asking him to absorb contact against true centers, even in short bursts, creates obvious wear-and-tear concerns. The 76ers have to protect his body, and using him in that role cuts against that goal.
For now, it remains just that - an idea, not a move the team has actually made. But the fact that it’s even on the table says plenty about Philadelphia’s center depth, and about how far the 76ers may be willing to stretch to patch the position.
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Philadelphias depth on the boards has gotten thinner after losing Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency, leaving the team without two of its better rebounders from last season. With Embiids rebounding impact not quite what it once was, the 76ers are heading toward the regular season still searching for a more reliable answer inside. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid Faces An Awkward New Question About LeBron In Philly
A strange little NBA side story followed Joel Embiid into the spotlight this week when an ESPN broadcast report suggested LeBron James had once confronted him for being late to practice. The claim was quickly denied by both James and Embiid, turning what sounded like a simple practice gripe into one of those odd locker-room anecdotes that takes on a life of its own.
The wrinkle for Philadelphia is less about the old report itself than what it says about the way stars are perceived around the league, especially when one of them is still trying to fit into a new setting with the 76ers. Former NBA player Olden Polynice added to the conversation by questioning the denials and pointing to the dynamic between James and Embiid, keeping the topic alive even after the original accusation was walked back. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Are Running Out Of Time To Get Two Key Pieces Ready
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Bona is working back from a foot injury, while Simons is dealing with a hamstring issue, and both were listed as partial participants in Mondays training camp session. The hope inside the team is still to get one last preseason look at them, whether that comes in the final exhibition or simply in time for the regular-season opener, but the clock is starting to shrink. [Read more 🡒]