The 76ers have spent the offseason building around a very specific idea, and it starts with LeBron James taking on a major playmaking load. Reports this summer, including from ESPN’s Shams Charania, say Philadelphia expects James to “play a good amount of time at the point guard position,” where he would act as the main initiator for a lineup that now includes Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and added bench depth.
That setup gives the Sixers a different kind of ceiling. James has spent years proving he can run an offense from just about anywhere on the floor, and the source of that confidence is easy to trace. During the Lakers’ 2019-20 championship run, he embraced Point Bron and finished the season leading the league in assists at a career-high 10.2 per game.
Toronto, though, has its own version of that kind of chess piece in Scottie Barnes.
Barnes has become the Raptors’ do-it-all engine, with his value showing up in defense, scoring, rebounding and passing. His natural home is at the forward spots, but Toronto has already leaned into his flexibility.
This past season, when Jakob Poeltl was out with injury, Barnes logged minutes as Five-Man Scottie and Center Scottie. He also spent time as Point Scottie, handling the ball and running the offense.
That role has made Barnes a talking point for Raptors fans, and for good reason. The appeal is obvious: his size, length and passing can create problems for opponents in ways few players can.
The concern is just as clear. If Toronto asks him to live in that full-time point guard lane, the half-court burden can test his handle and potentially pull some of his edge away on both ends.
There’s also another wrinkle coming for Toronto. The source points to the expected arrival of Kawhi Leonard once the trade hold-up is settled, which would give Barnes another dependable option and open the door for a new version of the Point Scottie experiment.
That’s what makes the Raptors such a natural counter to Philadelphia’s plan. If the Sixers are going to put James at the center of everything, Toronto has a positionless answer waiting in Barnes. When those teams meet, whether in the regular season or the playoffs, Barnes should have the chance to meet that challenge head-on.
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