When LeBron James announced he was played his record 24th NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers, hopes for the team were raised even higher than they’d been after the trade for Jaylen Brown.
The question for Sixers coach Nick Nurse, then, is what position King James will play.
Nurse Finding Ways to Utilize ‘Offense Creator’
Nurse, appearing on “Takeoff” from John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, was asked by Clark about the rumors regarding that question.
“The word is out that maybe LeBron’s gonna play some point [guard]?” Clark asked.
Nurse was pretty quick to affirm that notion.
“He is an offense creator. He is certainly a guy that will bring the ball up the floor and try to create for himself and others. He is really good for others. I think that lends itself to that, yeah,” Nurse confirmed.
James, of course, is famous for being able to play all five positions on the court, and having him serve as the primary ball handler can help the Sixers’ other stars like Tyrese Maxey, who often brought the ball up court before James joined, Nurse said.
“I think Tyrese, I keep saying how great a shooter he is. So, he’d better get ready to catch and shoot some of those deep threes that he that he takes … Let’s not forget how great Tyrese is with the ball. So, I think being able to be versatile with other guys, putting them in different places, I think always is beneficial too,” Nurse explained.
Another benefit of adding James will primarily extend to young players like V.J. Edgecombe.
“He’s a young guy that can see a guy who’s a true pro, right? He knows how to work. He knows what it takes,” Nurse said.
Of course, all of these benefits will only come if Brown, James, Maxey, Edgecombe and former MVP center Joel Embiid can jell this offseason.
All five can be big contributors on the court, but there’s only one basketball.
When push comes to shove, who gets to shoot? Brown, who’s ostensibly the new face of the team? Maxey, who’s made big shots in the past? Embiid, the injury-plagued superstar? Or James, perhaps the best to ever play the sport?
That’s just one of many questions facing perhaps the most intriguing team in the NBA this season.