Still an elite playmaker, but one who won’t have to do it all

Tony Jones

LeBron James is officially a Philadelphia 76er. Now what?

How does he fit the Sixers? Where does he fit, and what are his current strengths and weaknesses as an NBA player? With James, Philadelphia will have a chance to compete at the highest level. But what specifically are the 76ers getting with James at age 41?

How good is James in 2026?

The all-encompassing question comes first. To gauge his talent level, you have to look at where he left off with the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged 20.9 points per game. He was seventh in the league in assists at 7.2 per game. He averaged 6.1 rebounds per game and shot 51.5% from the field, while playing 60 games.

Last season was a complicated one for James. It was the first time he willingly took a step back in usage and offensive responsibility, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves emerging as the Lakers’ top two options. Yet when those two players went down with injuries late in the regular season, James was asked to again be the first option.

For the most part, he delivered. He had 30 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds in an April 5 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, followed by 26 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in an April 9 win over the Golden State Warriors four days later, then 28 points, 12 assists and six rebounds the next day against the Phoenix Suns.

James’ scoring is still volatile and increasingly tied to the success of his jumper. He led the NBA in transition points last season and remains one of the best on the fast break. But scoring against a good defense in half-court actions is more difficult than ever for him. Even with his 51.5% shooting, he is missing shots at the rim that once felt automatic now that he is encountering a relative lack of lift at the rim. He also struggled last season with turnovers.

James was still comfortably a top-20 player last season. More important, he led the Lakers to a playoff series win over the Houston Rockets and was the best player in the series. His playmaking and basketball IQ remain elite. He affects games in ways that only a few players can. He remains one of the best game manipulators in the NBA and one of the few people in the league who can dominate a game without scoring.

One of the reasons Philadelphia is a good fit for James is the personnel around him. Surrounded by Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, James can focus on being more of a play finisher than having to create the play. More important, he can continue creating plays for others, something he still does as well as almost anyone in basketball.

Where does James help Philadelphia the most?

Without James, the 76ers would have still been a threat to win the Eastern Conference because Brown and Maxey are All-NBA-level players, and Embiid is an all-world offensive talent when healthy. But the floor of that Sixers team would have been a lot lower, and the path to the ceiling would have been more narrow.

The 76ers were a roster of bucket-getters in search of an elite playmaker. This is why James is the ultimate fit for the Sixers. His playmaking is easily the biggest way he can elevate this team. He is one of the best passers to play the game. He is also one of the brightest basketball minds.

James can function as a second point guard with Maxey. He can make plays in transition, post up in half-court sets, initiate pick-and-roll offenses and work in dribble handoffs, which will help Maxey, Brown and V.J. Edgecombe get clean looks off the bounce. Without James, the Sixers were missing one specific skill set to complete their roster. They went out and added the person who provides that skill perfectly.

Here’s a bonus thought: James is one of the greatest mismatch hunters in NBA history. One reason the Sixers got swept by the New York Knicks was the Knicks’ ability to put Philadelphia’s big men in a blender time and again. Another reason: The Sixers were not able to take advantage of Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns defensively.

James’ ability to force the switches he wants should help Philadelphia when these two teams meet.

What’s needed for improvement from last season?

James shot 31% from 3-point range last season, and he did so taking four 3s a night, his lowest volume since 2016-17. The percentage is his lowest since 2015-16. There is some easy explanation here: His age is showing up most off the dribble. He no longer creates the same separation in the half-court, allowing defenders to stay attached more often. As a result, the quality of the looks from 3-point range aren’t the same, and he is not making them with the same efficiency.

He has had shooting slumps where he was able to bounce back. He shot 32% from 3 in 2022-23 before rebounding to 40% the next season and 37% the season after. In Philadelphia, this is going to be a two-way street.

The Sixers will need him to make shots from beyond the arc, and do it efficiently. But this is where the Sixers can help James: Maxey and Brown are two of the most dynamic offensive talents in basketball. When healthy and locked in, Embiid often cannot be guarded by one person. With their presence, the quality of James’ 3-point looks should improve greatly.

Whether he makes them will be the question. But they should be quality looks, and they should be better than the looks he has been used to getting in Los Angeles. If James and Edgecombe are shooting the ball well, it’s going to be difficult for teams to guard Philadelphia.

What’s the biggest concern with James?

At his peak, James was one of the NBA’s best defenders and probably deserved at least one Defensive Player of the Year Award. That’s no longer who he is. He remains a very good help defender. He can still read and jump passing lanes, which leads to steals and crowd-pleasing breakaway dunks. In the playoffs last season, he was still able to lock in and be an effective defender throughout the series win over Houston.

During the regular season, though, James conserves energy, and much of that shows up on the defensive end. It was a little different last season in Los Angeles. Because his offensive responsibility went down, his energy on the defensive end went up. The Sixers will need him to defend in the regular season because they do not have the strongest infrastructure defensively.

Edgecombe and Brown are good defenders at the point of attack. Dean Wade, who will come off the bench, is one of the better wing defenders in the league. Maxey is a competitive defender. But the Sixers do not have elite rim protection, and that will make James’ defense at the point of attack important. If Philadelphia is going to win a title during James’ tenure, the 76ers will have to stop people.

The offense can do its part to help the defense. If the Sixers are as good offensively as they have a chance to be, that means fewer turnovers and missed shots. And that means more of a chance to make opponents score against a set defense. But James will have to do his part.

What’s the best version of James for Philadelphia?

Remember the 2024 Olympics? In many ways, that version of James was different from any version we have seen. He grabbed rebounds, defended with energy, took a big step back offensively and simply filled in the blanks where needed. It was almost like Draymond Green 2.0. James was named the MVP for those Olympics, and he did it largely without forcing himself on the offense.

That’s the blueprint for Philadelphia. Maxey, Brown and Embiid are so good offensively, it makes sense to allow them to cook teams. If James scores opportunistically, defends at a high level and can be the playmaker this roster needs, his impact on this roster has a chance to be enormous.