LeBron James has been mentioned as the best player on every team he's been apart of. Now, he may be less productive than he's ever been.
The LeBron James experience with the Philadelphia 76ers is almost at hand. With that being said, while he is close to breaking more records, there’s a streak that he may break, and not by choice.
Since James joined the NBA, he has averaged over 20 points per game. That streak may very well come to an end. Multiple analysts from ESPN have stated that they think James could be in for a shocking surprise.
Having to be apart of a new roster with a new play style, one could say it would take time for James to integrate himself in it. However, that won’t be an issue considering he’s seen everything when it comes to the game of basketball. But, with that being said, he will be handling a different role this season.
James himself has mentioned that he won’t be a prominent scorer on this team and instead will be a playmaker. It’s only right considering all the other guys are much younger and will be looking to push the pace. James doesn’t want to be the guy that has to score, that part of his career is over with. So it only makes sense that he’s conceding to the young fellas and will look to get them wash looks.
As the playmaker, even if he drops in points, it’ll increase his assist total which would aid him in passing Jason Kidd on the all-time assist list. Besides, James won’t be needed for scoring until late into the season, or better yet, when the time calls for it in the playoffs.
When James was in Los Angeles he could have had those numbers drop then, the only problem was he didn’t have the help that he does now. With Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey waiting on the wing and Joel Embiid down on the block, it’s going to be easy to get the ball where it needs to go.
Averaging 20 points a game isn’t where James’ mindset is now. It’s only focused on bettering the team anyway he can. For this unit and the type of players around him, it requires being a facilitator, it demands that he be the floor general and assess every situation. When that happens, the floor opens up for everyone around him.
While James may not be the scorer that he once was, he can still get down with the best of them. So if he has to score he will but ultimately, his IQ will be his biggest advantage for the 76ers.
