nbcnews
When Rich Paul, LeBron James' agent, displayed a whiteboard listing the teams most likely to sign his client in free agency, five suitors emerged: the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Cleveland Cavaliers. In a move that caught many off guard, James chose the 76ers.
So far, that choice looks inspired. Philadelphia stands at 8-1 following Wednesday night's victory over the Detroit Pistons. As of Friday, the 76ers own the most wins in the NBA, and their potent starting unit has gelled rapidly into a legitimate championship threat.
Philadelphia's starting five consists of James, Jaylen Brown—acquired via trade in the offseason—Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. Together, these five players account for 36 All-Star appearances, five MVP awards, and five Finals MVP honors. It's perhaps no surprise, then, that they've excelled on the court as a unit.
In 77 minutes together across five games, the 76ers' starters have outscored opponents by 15 points. Philadelphia's first-string defense has been stifling, limiting opponents to just 95.4 points per 100 possessions. For comparison, the league's top defense entering Thursday allowed 103 points per 100 possessions. "Our defense is going to be our identity," James said Wednesday after the win over Detroit. "We have a lot of scoring. We know that from individuals. We're still figuring out that side of the floor out on the offensive side. Defensively, that's where we are going to make our mark."
James has blended seamlessly with his co-stars. All two-man combinations pairing James with one of Maxey, Brown, Embiid, or Edgecombe have outscored opponents through the team's first nine games.
James is clearly pacing himself. On a roster brimming with talent, he has seemingly embraced a role as one of the NBA's premier supporting players. Through his first seven games, James is averaging 15.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per night. His scoring average, field-goal attempts per game (13.1), and free-throw attempts (4.4) are all on track to be career lows. While James hasn't fully compensated for the dip in efficiency—his 45.7% shooting from the field would be his lowest since his rookie season—his willingness to defer has particularly benefited Maxey.
The speedy guard is averaging 28.0 points on a career-best 48.6% shooting. "It was a long offseason for me," Maxey said this month. "I worked on my passing. I worked on my isolation scoring and my late-game scoring. I wanted to be able to come back with a move that I could get to late in games, because I knew we were going to need it. I knew we would need it, and I knew that I would be ready to do it." Brown added: "Max has been leading the way, 100%. He's been here. This is his team."
Everyone has sacrificed to some degree, including Embiid, who admitted he was struggling to adapt to his new role as his shot attempts diminish. "My mindset is really on whenever I have the ball, make plays," Embiid said. "Make the game easy for all these guys. Making the right play over and over, setting screens, get Tyrese as open as possible, Bron, all these guys."
Key Analysis
How does this compare to previous James-led teams? Typically, when James joins a new squad, it takes time for things to come together. The 2010-11 Miami Heat, for instance, started just 6-4 in their first 10 games. That team was only 9-8 after 17 games, when James famously bumped into coach Erik Spoelstra during the team's eighth loss. The 2014-15 Cleveland Cavaliers were worse, starting 5-5 when James returned home. The Cavs struggled until January, hovering around .500 until a 12-game winning streak midseason. The 2018-19 Los Angeles Lakers started 4-6 and eventually missed the playoffs after James sustained a groin injury late in the year. Much of that roster was overhauled the following offseason after the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis.
This year's 76ers have a chance to go 9-1 if they win Friday. History already bodes well for Philadelphia, as the four previous James-led teams to start 7-1 all reached the NBA Finals. "It's too early to be talking about the Finals and things of that nature on Nov. 4," James said Wednesday night. "We got a good team. Guys vibe with one another, guys like each other, guys enjoy being around each other."
Originally reported by nbcnews.