LeBron James’ fit with Nick Nurse has quickly become one of the early storylines around Philadelphia’s hot start, and the reason is pretty simple: the two have already found a rhythm.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN, writing with Tim MacMahon, says James and Nurse had never worked together before James signed with the Sixers this summer, but they spoke multiple times before training camp and sidestepped the kind of awkward start that has followed James at previous stops.
A veteran NBA executive told Windhorst, “LeBron didn’t vibe with (Heat coach Erik Spoelstra) at the start, and lots of people think he wanted him fired in the first month (of 2010-11),” a veteran NBA executive tells Windhorst. “He never gave David Blatt a chance (when James went back to the Cleveland Cavaliers) and it went sideways really quick when he went to L.A. with Luke (Walton). From the outside (Nurse and James) look like they’re working together very well.”
That partnership has shown up in the way James is being used. He’s taken on a flexible role for Philadelphia, spending stretches as the team’s primary creator and also sliding to center when injuries have thinned out the big-man rotation.
Nurse, meanwhile, is benefiting from the depth of knowledge James brings after so many years in the league. Before the season, James also made a point of praising Nurse for what he accomplished in Toronto.
Another coach around the league sees that dynamic as the key. “(LeBron) had a good relationship with JJ (Redick) from day one (with the Lakers) and they worked well together and that’s a better way to live,” a Western Conference assistant coach said. “If LeBron thinks you’re smart and you put him in a position to be successful, he’s going to respect you.”
Windhorst and MacMahon also dug into several other teams around the league, starting with Memphis. One Western Conference scout told MacMahon, “Memphis is the Phoenix of last year,” after the Grizzlies opened 6-2.
Ty Jerome has grabbed plenty of attention with his scoring bursts, but the bigger picture is a roster built on four productive starters still on rookie deals: Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells. That gives general manager Zach Kleiman room to maneuver, whether that means making a major move at the deadline or next summer, or using “pre-agency” to chase a restricted free agent in a trade before the offseason.
The Clippers, by contrast, are headed in the other direction. At 1-7 and stocked with veterans, they’re being viewed as likely sellers once trade season starts to heat up, MacMahon wrote. Brook Lopez, Kris Dunn, Rui Hachimura, Max Strus and Derrick Jones Jr. are the names to watch, with all of them on expiring deals except Hachimura, who has a $14MM team option for next season.
Windhorst also dismissed any talk of friction between Kings center Domantas Sabonis and rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. as a “non-story.” There have been whispers that Sabonis is bothered by Acuff’s high shot volume, but sources told Windhorst that Sabonis appreciates Acuff’s scoring ability and likes having him on the roster.
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