LeBron James might be entering his 24th NBA season, but Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse already has a clear vision of how the four-time MVP will fit into his new team. Nick Nurse isn’t asking LeBron to carry the scoring load. Instead, Nurse expects LeBron to take control of the offense as the team’s primary creator.
Speaking about LeBron’s role on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Nurse said that the veteran superstar will have the ball in his hands very often.
“I think he’s an offense creator, right? I think he certainly is a guy that’ll bring the ball up the floor and try to create for himself or others. You know, really good for others, and I think that lends itself to that.”
That description sounds remarkably similar to the role LeBron James had during the 2019-20 NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers. That season, LeBron shifted into a modern point guard role, led the NBA with 10.2 assists per game, and led the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA championship alongside Anthony Davis.
The Sixers’ roster, as presently constructed, could make that role even more effective. Instead of carrying the scoring burden, LeBron will be surrounded by elite offensive talent. Joel Embiid is the league’s most dominant scorer when healthy. Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown are All-NBA players, and V.J. Edgecombe is also a capable offensive player. All four are capable of creating their own offense.
With four players consistently putting points on the board, LeBron can focus on doing the one thing that he has done better than anyone throughout his career: making everyone around him better.
LeBron enters the season ranked fourth on the NBA’s all-time assists leaderboard with 12,016 assists, while averaging 7.4 assists per game across his 23-year career. There is no player in league history who has combined scoring and playmaking at his level, and the Sixers are ready to maximize that passing ability.
Nurse also revealed details about the conversations with LeBron before the veteran decided to join the Sixers.
“Well, first of all, I think he’s a great player, and I think we’re fortunate to have him on the team. And that’s kind of where I started. I said, I think you slot right in there perfectly. We did talk about some multi-position situations. Talked to him about, you know, just his leadership in general, his professionalism in general that could help, I think, raise the level of some things. Talked about his late-game play, things like that. That’s about it.”
Those comments seem to be in line with Rich Paul, who had previously suggested that LeBron James was ready to accept a Draymond Green-type role. His experience, leadership, and ability to get an offense flowing are expected to be very important.
One area where the Sixers need help is playmaking. They ranked 29th in the league with 24.2 assists per game. Adding LeBron should certainly improve that number.
The biggest question will obviously be how the touches are divided between the team’s four-star players. Maxey, Brown, and Embiid have spent much of their careers with the ball in their hands. Nick Nurse and his coaching staff will be challenged to create an offense where everyone remains involved, with James as the primary focal point.
If that balance is found, LeBron could put up some impressive assist numbers despite entering his 24th NBA season. With elite scorers around him, a season averaging 10 to 12 assists would not surprise anyone. Even a season averaging 15 assists might be within reach.
For the first time in years, LeBron doesn’t have to be his team’s primary scorer. Instead, he can become a full-time floor general, using his elite basketball IQ to unlock the most talented starting lineups in the NBA as he chases another championship.
