LeBron James won’t simply be another scorer in Philadelphia’s star-studded lineup.
Instead, the 76ers are preparing to put the ball back in his hands.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported Monday on NBA Today that Philadelphia expects James to spend significant stretches running the offense at point guard under coach Nick Nurse, a role that could unlock one of the league’s deepest collections of offensive talent.
“The Sixers, I’m told, are expecting LeBron James to play a good amount of time at the point guard position on offense, initiating the game, the offense for Nick Nurse,” Charania said. “Think of a better player that can set the table for Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe. There’s all these players that can score, that can get the ball from LeBron James.”
For a team that already features elite shot creators across the floor, the decision isn’t about asking the 41-year-old James to dominate possessions. It’s about maximizing everyone around him.
Point Lebron Has Already Produced a Championship
Getty The Philadelphia 76ers are bringing back Point LeBron as the 41-year-old superstar enters his 24th season in the NBA.
The blueprint already exists.
The last time James served as his team’s primary point guard came during the 2019-20 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. That experiment couldn’t have gone much better.
James averaged 25.3 points, a career-high and league-leading 10.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 49.3% from the field, earning All-NBA First Team honors as the Lakers finished 52-19 and captured the NBA championship.
His playmaking became even more valuable in the postseason.
James averaged 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists over 21 playoff games before elevating his production in the NBA Finals to 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists, earning his fourth Finals MVP award.
No other season of James’ 23-year career produced a league assists title.
While he has topped nine assists per game only once since then and has generally operated as more of a point forward than a full-time point guard, the 2019-20 campaign demonstrated how devastating he can be when orchestrating an offense surrounded by elite finishers.
Philadelphia 76ers Roster Makes the Fit Natural
Unlike many teams James has led, Philadelphia doesn’t need him to carry the scoring load every night.
Tyrese Maxey can attack defenses in transition. Jaylen Brown provides another downhill scorer and wing creator. Joel Embiid remains one of the NBA’s premier interior forces, while reigning All-Rookie First Team selection VJ Edgecombe gives the 76ers another explosive athlete capable of thriving off cuts and open looks.
Putting James at the controls allows each of those players to spend more time attacking advantages instead of creating them.
It also could help preserve James throughout a long season.
Last season, James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games, showing he remains an elite facilitator even as he enters his record-breaking 24th NBA season.
If Nurse fully embraces “Point LeBron” again, Philadelphia won’t simply be asking one of the greatest players in NBA history to recreate the past.
The 76ers will be betting that the same formula that delivered a championship in Los Angeles can maximize a roster built to compete for another title.
76ers Envision LeBron James in Role He Filled Only Once in 23-Year Career