LeBron James Could Reportedly Find Himself Utilized in a Familiar Way With 76ers

In what could be LeBron James' final season, it appears he will have the ball in his hands as much as possible. 

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, James will be the floor general for the Philadelphia 76ers, as he could be spending some time playing the point guard position. This wouldn’t be unfamiliar territory for James, as he handled the position in the 2019-2020 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. That season saw James at his best as he led the league in assists with 10.2 a game. 

If the reports are true, what does that do to their lineup? Well, it allows Sixers' head coach, Nick Nurse, to use a wide variety of lineups. It could allow for plenty of transitional scoring along with size mismatches. This could be a lineup that could put shooters around James and allow him to dictate the pace.

It would allow for players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dean Wade to get crucial minutes and give Nurse an idea of what kind of roster he has. This would even make the defense that much tougher by adding these 3-and-D wing defenders like Caldwell-Pope and Wade.  A move of this magnitude could even strengthen the second unit by alternating certain starters to ensure there is always a lethal threat on the court. 

This could also be an answer for many teams who want to go with the small-ball lineups. These lineups have presented problems for many teams over the years. Teams look to utilize these lineups to create confusion among defenses who can’t handle the scoring output. With James running the point, they gain an advantage by adding size without losing any of the scoring. It would also allow for Tyrese Maxey to move without the ball, allowing him to not be pressured from the moment the ball is in his hands. 

One of the biggest issues that Philadelphia had was the lack of ball handling. Every time the ball was inbounded, Maxey had to bring the ball up, exerting unnecessary energy. If anyone can make this move work, it's Nurse. Nurse altered his rotational lineups when he faced the Golden State Warriors in 2018-2019 to help lead the Toronto Raptors to an NBA Championship. Nurse even implemented the box-and-1 defense against Stephen Curry. A ploy he could use again if he puts James at the '1.' 

If James can be anything like he was in 2020 running the point, the Sixers can be a high-powered offense that no one can stop. 

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J'Mar Smith is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].