LeBron James’ Point Guard Role Could Unlock 76ers to New Heights
Dec 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) and Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey react with each other after the game at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
LeBron James will serve as the point guard for the 76ers, tasked with bringing the ball up the court. However, his job is not just limited to that. His role also means he will both orchestrate and maximize the 76ers’ offense.
This role is not new to James; he has held it multiple times, specifically in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons with the Lakers. In those seasons, James played a total of 112 games and held an impressive record of 82-30, or 60-22 on an 82-game pace. In this span, he averaged 25.2 points and 9.2 assists per game, leading the league in assists per game in the 2019-20 season. This performance came with a team that, besides Anthony Davis, was not spectacular offensively. Now, in a sharp contrast, James will be playing with five other high-scoring threats, who have all scored over 16 points per game within the last three seasons.
More than this, James has continuously shown his value as a player, and 2020-21 is a prime example of this feat. For example, in James’ 45 games played, the Lakers were a whopping 30-15 and potentially the best team in the West. However, without James, the Lakers were a measly 12-15, showing their reliance on James if they wanted to win anything. However, this trend is not just for this season, as even in the Lakers’ 2019-20 championship season, the Lakers were 0-4 in games without James.
From the 76ers’ point of view, outside of the obvious benefits of the James addition, he also brings balance. Joel Embiid has been the main scorer for the 76ers throughout his career. With that came a toll, and his knees paid the price. Now, for the first offseason of his career, Embiid did not need surgery or heavy rehab. Now, add that alongside a much more limited workload with the additions of both Jaylen Brown and James; suddenly, the 76ers go from needing 40 minutes of Embiid every game to stay competitive, to needing just 25-30 minutes instead.
Following that is Tyrese Maxey‘s move back to shooting guard. Although initially it may appear that his best seasons have come as a point guard, this overshadows his contributions as a teammate rather than an individual. Over the last three seasons, Maxey has been at his best defensively; however, since becoming the point guard, his turnovers have doubled. Now, with the point guard role being given to James, Maxey gets to harness his scoring and defending ability, with much less risk of turnovers.
More than that is James’ ability to win. On this current starting lineup, there are two Finals MVPs — James and Brown. Although Brown had a career year last season, scoring almost 29 PPG, it is clear that his best seasons as a team come when he has a smaller role. In the Celtics’ championship season, Brown had taken a smaller role from the year prior. This limitation was not a result of Brown’s lack of skill, but rather a utilization of Brown’s best attributes for the team. It may have seen both his PPG and RPG decrease, but it also saw a decrease in turnovers and an increase in APG.
VJ Edgecombe‘s development will be maximized, as well. Edgecombe has a high ceiling, and now with the veteran leadership of three former shooting guards in Maxey, Brown, and James, along with the pairing with Maxey that should last the better part of a decade, Edgecombe is destined for greatness.
Isaac Baranski
Isaac is a high-school senior who currently attends the Hun School of Princeton. In his free time, he has many interests, but most of all is his love for Philadelphia sports. He has watched the 76ers since the days of Sam Hinkie and hopes to watch the process be completed. He has also watched the Phillies since the days of Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and the great crew, and hopes to see Red October finally achieve its goal. Along with that, he picked up a love for the Philadelphia Union shortly before the pandemic, and has seen them win multiple Supporters’ Shields in person. Lastly, and most importantly, he is a major football lover and an even bigger Eagles lover. Since developing his love for The Birds in elementary school, he has made it his goal to never miss a game.
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