Training camp is still a couple of months off, but the Philadelphia 76ers are already getting a clearer picture of what their season could look like - and LeBron James sits right at the center of it.
The new 76ers team president, Mike Gansey, made it plain on the 97.5 The Fanatic podcast: Philadelphia sees James as the kind of connector who can pull the whole roster together. That’s the role Gansey believes will matter most, especially with the talent already in place around him.
The idea is simple enough. James has spent most of his career as a full-time playmaker, and even if that wasn’t the version people saw last season, the 76ers think that changes now.
The fit, at least on paper, is built around passing and decision-making. Gansey’s view lines up with what fans and pundits have been saying since James chose Philly as his destination. He’s not being brought in just to score; he’s being asked to elevate everyone else.
There is still the age question, of course. Expecting LeBron James to walk straight back into peak form next season would be a stretch.
But it is not being treated as impossible either. His numbers dipped last year, and the source of that slide was an early injury that kept him from settling into a normal rhythm.
He also had to adjust to a much more streamlined role while playing behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Philadelphia’s situation is different, even if the roster is just as crowded. The 76ers have plenty of players who need touches, but they do not have the same playmaking burden spread around the way the Lakers did.
Outside of James, that kind of responsibility is not really there. Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown are described as capable off-ball operators, and in the projected starting lineup, James would be operating as the de facto point guard anyway.
If he stays healthy, the expectation is that Year 24 could still be a strong one. The physical limitations that showed up last season are real, but they have not erased what makes him such a problem for opponents: his smarts, his skill, and his ability to control the game with the ball in his hands.
LeBron James may not be the exact player he once was, but the source of the optimism is clear - he is still close enough to his peak when healthy that Philadelphia believes he can change everything.
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