Philadelphia 76ers star forward LeBron James can do it all on a basketball court. He said as much during his first media day appearance in Philadelphia.
“Whatever the team needs me to do,” James said succinctly. “The luxury of my game is that I can do everything.”
Ultimately though, it will be up to 76ers head coach Nick Nurse to decide how to best utilize James’ varied skill set in the upcoming campaign, and he recently provided some insight into his vision for James’ role in Philadelphia.
Nick Nurse Views LeBron James as ‘Offensive Creator’ for 76ers
Nurse explained to media members that he views James as a creator on offense for Philadelphia given his experience, skill set and basketball IQ. That doesn’t mean thart James will always be the one bringing the ball up the court for Philly, but he will be relied on to initiate offensive sets and put his teammates in position to succeed.
“I just think LeBron, I consider him a great offense creator. I don’t necessarily mean scorer, I just think creator and a table setter and all that kind of stuff,” Nurse said. “… If it isn’t bringing it up and starting [the possession], it’s probably going to be first pass anyway to [him on] the wing and then we get into our actions, and he’s kind of seeing what’s there, and he’s creating offense for others.”
This doesn’t mean that 76ers players will be encouraged to get the ball to James the second they snatch a defensive rebound or force a turnover. On the contrary, Nurse has empowered his players to feel comfortable initiating a fast break or offensive themselves.
“We got several guys that what I would call ‘grab-and-go,'” Nurse said. “If they get rebounds and their first advantage is to start pushing it up the floor and it stays that way, then they’re going to do it.”
In addition to James, the Sixers have several players capable of pushing the pace and turning a defensive rebound into an offensive opportunity, including Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe. Those guys will be encouraged to create on their own, as opposed to consistently deferring to James, which could make things even more difficult on opposing defenses.
With all of those attackers, the Sixers should be a dangerous transition team, while having a creator like James should be extremely beneficial in halfcourt situations. James averaged more assists per game last season (7.2) than any player on the Sixers, and his ability to open things up for those around him, and then make the right play, is something that the Sixers haven’t had.
Nick Nurse Shares Vision for LeBron James’ Role on Philadelphia 76ers