The Sixers discussed availability LeBron James is operating as a power forward this season, according to team sources ESPN’s Dave McMenaminbut that doesn’t necessarily mean the head coach Nick Nurse determined that the four-time MVP would always be the one to bring the ball up the floor.
“We have some guys that I would call grab and go.” The nurse said on Thursday. “If they get rebounds and their first advantage is to start pushing it up the floor and it stays that way, that’s when they’re going to do it.”
Still, while the Sixers’ new-look starting five determines how the ball will be distributed among several players accustomed to holding it, Nurse sees James as a valuable weapon to have on the floor given how adept he is at creating opportunities for his teammates.
“I just think LeBron, I think he’s a great creator of the offense,” The nurse said. “I don’t necessarily mean the scorer, I just think the creator and the serve and all that. . . . If it’s not to pick it up and start (possession), it’s probably going to be the first pass anyway (to him on the) wing and then we go into our action and he kind of sees what’s there and he creates offense for others.”
Here’s more on the 76ers:
- After meeting as part of the Turkish and German national teams, and then as part of the “Sixers” and “Knicks”, Adem Bono and Ariel Hookporti are now competing for backup center minutes in Philadelphia, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Considering they’re teammates now, they have a slightly different take on the stakes of this battle. “People can say ‘battle’ or whatever,” Huckporty said Thursday. “But when it comes down to the ultimate goal, (you) come together as a team and you work as a team. It doesn’t matter. I can play five minutes, (Bonot) play 15 minutes. I play 25 minutes, he plays 15. … Whoever comes in, comes in. Get the job done. Especially in the playoffs, we need everybody. We need all the players.”
- As he acclimates to his new NBA home after 10 years in Boston, Jaylen Brown considers it just as important to create a “good atmosphere” with teammates than to get used to their habits and tendencies on the court, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. “We’re all normal people, spending time with each other and just enjoying each other’s presence.” – said Brown. “So I’m looking forward to those moments, the lunches and the team walks. I’m looking forward to getting to know each other, the families, the backgrounds, the wives and the kids.” Brown added that on Thursday Tyrese Maxey helped him feel welcome in Philadelphia, calling the All-Star guard a “great leader” and “a great host” PhillyVoice’s Adam Aaronson.
- He is the least experienced player in a lineup that includes James, Brown, Maxey and Joel Embiidbut the second year of the guard VJ Edgecombe should not be overlooked Jones says in another story for The Athletic. The 76ers want Edgecomb to continue to be aggressive on offense, and he’ll likely be tasked with the toughest task of defending the perimeter on any given night, as detailed by Jones.
- Embiid sat down with ESPN’s Malika Andrews (Link to video on Twitter) to discuss the Sixers’ championship aspirations, the new additions to the roster and a few other topics.