With LeBron James on the roster, the team is boosted instantly. There is one key player that can benefit from sharing the court with him.
LeBron James being a part of the Philadelphia 76ers was something few saw coming. When he made the announcement, everyone went into a frenzy. Now that he’s joined the team, it stands to wonder who benefits the most from his presence on the court.
Many would think it would be Joel Embiid or Jaylen Brown, but the one who has the most to gain is actually Tyrese Maxey. There’s going to be some who find this blasphemous, but Maxey was the one who handled the ball the most last year. With James assuming the facilitator role, Maxey has the freedom to just go get a bucket.
He may not duplicate the same number of 28 points in a game, but he can move freely and get his shot off. Maxey had a usage rate of 29.7, which is why things could be easier with the ball in James’ hands. When Maxey does have the ball in his hands, he can utilize the pick and roll to his advantage.
James has the ability to still get to the paint at will, and that’s just the kind of thing that can benefit a player like Maxey. Even though Maxey is more of a shot creator, it doesn’t mean he can’t be a catch-and-shoot type of player. Having James on the team can also help with Maxey’s basketball IQ. This isn’t a knock on Maxey; there are levels to the game that James could show Maxey when it comes to the point guard.
When James was a point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, he had a similar usage rate as Maxey at 27.2 percent. He operated as a point-forward for the Lakers and managed to average ten assists a game. Now no one is expecting him to duplicate those numbers, but it’s sure to get the offense going. Maxey had a three-point shot percentage of 39.7 percent when it was a catch-and-shoot shot. With the added spacing from all the stars on the floor, that percentage could increase.
There could be a chance Maxey’s minutes decrease as a result. This could be something that works in the long run as a way to keep him as fresh as possible. Maxey averaged nearly 40 minutes a night. If that number can drop by just a few minutes, it could help preserve his body and get him ready for the minutes jump when the playoffs get here.
Maxey and James have already gotten a few workouts in together; this benefit is a great way to utilize all their weapons in spurts.
