Don't look now, but the Philadelphia 76ers are No. 1 in the East with a 6-1 record. It's still early, but they didn't get the memo that they were supposed to get off to a slow start with LeBron James, since that's what happened with the Heat, Cavaliers, and Lakers. It's supposed to take time to integrate a superstar like him who impacts the game on so many levels.
The 76ers are still on a learning curve, one that extends beyond James. They're also working to integrate Jaylen Brown into their system, while Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe acclimate to their new teammates. If Philadelphia were sitting 3-4, or even 2-5, right now, fans might not feel that confident, but it'd make sense given the offseason it had.
After all, the Heat started 9-8 with LeBron in 2010. The Cavaliers started 19-20 after he returned to Cleveland in 2014. And the Lakers started the season 4-6 in 2018.
That hasn't been the case in Philadelphia, though. And it's not because the NBA gave them a favorable schedule to start the season. It's actually the opposite. The 76ers have beaten the Knicks twice now, on the road and at home, and have had an impressive come-from-behind win against the Cavaliers. Their only loss of the season happened against the Pistons in the second half of a back-to-back.
76ers are off to a 6-1 start in the LeBron James era
James isn't the focal point in Philadelphia. Everything doesn't revolve around him, as it did in Miami, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. That's not to say that he didn't share the floor with co-stars in his previous stops, but those systems were largely centered around him.
He's played more of a supporting role with the 76ers, but he still knows how to elevate his game when it's required. We saw that on Friday when Philadelphia played New York without Brown, and LeBron came up just short of a triple-double with 20 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, one block, and one steal in 34 minutes.
He got the following night off in Charlotte for injury management, a reminder that although he can still do it all, he will be 42 next month. Rest is necessary for him to help the 76ers get where they want to go.
You can't judge an NBA team by what happens in October or November (and maybe even December), but where Philadelphia stands now, with James and its other stars, is a strong indication of what this team can be. And if this is where they are now, what could the future look like?
LeBron knows how he wants his 24th season in the league to end. And he understands that, to get there, it's a marathon, not a sprint. The 76ers have a lot to work out between now and April (like clicking on offense and needing another center), but the fact that they've already defied the odds (or, in this case, history) by finding ways to win as a team is encouraging.
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