LeBron James landing with the Philadelphia 76ers could wind up as the offseason move that changes everything for the franchise. And if this setup works the way it’s supposed to, Philly won’t be asking him to carry the scoring burden the way the Lakers did for so long.
That’s the key difference here. In Los Angeles, James was still being leaned on heavily as a scorer for most of his time there, even if the Lakers briefly tried to make him their No. 3 option in the middle of the season.
Injuries wiped that out, and the scoring load kept drifting back onto his shoulders. Even with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves taking bigger slices of the offense at times, James was still the one they trusted late in games.
That was a big reason the Lakers were one of the best clutch teams in the league.
James is still more than capable of taking over games at 41. He showed that in the playoffs, when he carried the Lakers to a series win over the Rockets after Doncic and Reaves were sidelined by injury. But that kind of burden also helped wear him down, and it showed when the Thunder swept the Lakers in the Conference Semifinals.
Philadelphia should be able to handle this differently.
The 76ers have four other players besides James who can step into the lead scoring role, which gives them more flexibility than Los Angeles had. What they need from him now is something a little different: a steady hand, a half-court organizer, the guy who can connect everything without having to force the issue as a scorer.
That role fits what the 76ers need right now. They don’t have a ton of natural playmakers, so James becomes the player who can set the table and keep the offense moving.
If that means his scoring average dips to a career low, so be it. The bigger payoff is keeping him fresher and more effective when it matters most, in April and beyond.
For James, it’s familiar work with a different emphasis. He has always been able to run an offense, but this would ask him to do it without being the main point-getter.
The Lakers couldn’t really afford that version of him. The 76ers, as they’re built now, can.
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For Philadelphia, the timing matters because the two teams are set to see each other three times, including a preseason matchup, before the end of October. Brunson has already been a tough matchup for the Sixers in the playoffs, and he is anticipated to be in the lineup for the season opener on October 20 unless something changes, which means any hoped-for early-season break may be slipping away. [Read more 🡒]