The Philadelphia 76ers are going through a philosophical shift, at least they appear to be, as can be gleaned from their first game of the season. Facing the reigning NBA champions, they were unfazed by the immense pressure surrounding them, allowing them to come out with a win on the road. One reason they were able to pull that off is the fact that they shared the ball with more frequency than they used to.
Philly racked up 28 assists, beating out the Knicks' 21 dimes. While that can be seen as pretty pedestrian for some teams, that is actually a huge figure for a squad like the 76ers. After all, the team finished a measly 29th in the league in assists per outing in the last two seasons, reflecting their heliocentric ethos on the offensive end over the last couple of years.
The 76ers are already sharing the ball more often than before
LeBron James led the squad with seven assists while Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid both notched six dimes. Tyrese Maxey was not too far off with five dimes under his name.
With an elite playmaker like James now in the fold, the 76ers definitely do not have any reason to remain at the bottom of the league in the assists department. After all, given the boatload of talent on the roster, the team has to make a concerted effort to get everyone involved and prevent defenses from just doubling down on whoever has the ball.
What is more impressive about the 76ers recording 28 dimes against the Knicks is the fact that their assists were of the pronounced kind. After all, the team shot poorly from the perimeter and simply did not have a great shooting night. As such, registering 28 assists becomes all the more striking.
Philly seems to be veering away from their previous offensive design, which is predicated on their stars like Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid directing traffic and doing most of the initiation on offense. That kind of scoring attack maximized the players individually but made the team that much more predictable.
Hopefully, this is not a one-off instance or an aberration from the 76ers. While assists are not the sole indicator of willingness to share the rock, it reflects the ability to recognize mismatches and chase open spaces. This team is mounting a strong championship bid, and to maximize their chances, deploying a more inclusive scoring attack is definitely the way to go.
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