76ers can't afford to accept lazy LeBron James narrative

There is no doubt that the Philadelphia 76ers and head coach Nick Nurse are going to have to work through several teething issues this season, but not for the reason people believe. Social media is rife with claims that the usage rates of the Sixers' star players, including LeBron James, prove this team won't work. Context is everything, and LeBron happily accepted a backseat in the Los Angeles Lakers offense until Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were cursed with injuries.

LeBron is capable of playing a decreased offensive role

Without turning this article into a rant, as a generation, we must do better at using statistics to start a conversation rather than ending it. Numbers can highlight a problem, but analyzing why these numbers occur is essential. We must start using the 'eye test' to assess performances rather than letting analytics dictate our opinions.

Case in point: LeBron James and his new teammates' usage rates during games. Yes, it is right to suggest that there are several primary options on this roster, but each of these players has been forced into roles they were never expected to play last season. LeBron is at the forefront of this argument.

The above graphic is a bit of a stretch. While Dean Oliver of ESPN presents reliable numbers, he doesn't provide the required context to make a true judgment. According to StatMuse, last season, when LeBron featured on the same team as Luka Doncic 49 times, he averaged a 26.3 percent usage rate. His average then catapulted to 31.9 percent in the games without his superstar teammate on the floor.

Due to the lack of offensive options on the Los Angeles Lakers, it is completely normal for a player of James' caliber to be utilized in this manner. It should also be noted that the 41-year-old was happy to put his ego to one side and let Luka take charge of the Lakers' offensive unit, finishing the year averaging a whopping 38 percent usage rate.

James is not the only 76ers player to be tarnished with this brush

LeBron James may be the obvious target of this set of statistics due to his domination over the years, but players such as Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid also need context for their usage rates.

Since the start of his career, Jaylen Brown has proven that he is capable of fitting into a system that puts the team first. Alongside Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Brown was forever the bridesmaid and never the bride. However, when Tatum was ruled out to start the 2025-26 season and the likes of Payton Pritchard and Derrick White were failing to step up to the plate, Brown was tasked with spearheading the Celtics' offense -- hence the higher usage rate.

Tyrese Maxey was in an identical situation in Philadelphia last year. With Joel Embiid and Paul George unavailable for large portions of the season, the 25-year-old had no option but to run the offense. VJ Edgecombe did his very best to contribute on the biggest stage, but in the NBA, there is an offensive hierarchy, and Maxey was undoubtedly ahead in the pecking order.

Finally, we have Joel Embiid -- a player who only featured on 38 occasions for the 76ers last year. Embiid's availability was limited last year, but when he was on the floor, the 76ers desperately needed the 2023 MVP to reach his usual sensational heights to help the team clinch a postseason berth. This year, with a deeper roster and more capable scorers, Embiid can take a backseat and prepare himself for the latter stages of the playoffs.

Of course, the Philadelphia 76ers will have to bide their time to settle their new stars into Nick Nurse's system, but the NBA's elongated regular-season games will help them find a cohesive game plan. With that in mind, suggestions that this set of players will struggle to share the ball are far from the mark. This is a group of elite stars who are in Philadelphia to win; even without the true context, LeBron and co. will figure this out.

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