The moment the 76ers knew that they were going to land LeBron James during the offseason, the team instantly got a massive boost when it comes to their playmaking, scoring arsenal, leadership on and off the court, and clutch scoring. Well, little did they know that they were also getting a version of the King who stands out on the defensive side of things –– at least as can be gleaned from the early eye test so far this season.
LeBron has been pretty solid as a defender for Philadelphia through their first seven games. Given that he is almost 42 years old and still has a significant role on this team, it is definitely remarkable that he can still be an asset on that end. After all, the superstar has considerably waned on defense in recent years, so it is a pleasant surprise that the 76ers have gotten a lot of juice from him aside from his playmaking and scoring.
LeBron James being a solid defender for the 76ers is a pleasant surprise
Strangely enough, Philly has been relatively subpar on offense to start things off despite their sterling record of six wins and just one loss. It is their team defense, which is currently ranked fourth among all 30 teams, that has carried them to wins. They remain undefeated during crunch time, and it is their lockdown D as a unit that has allowed them to brave through scoring droughts and poor shooting nights.
James being a reliable multi-positional defender once again after a long time has become one of the major reasons for the 76ers being a top-tier defensive squad. Nick Nurse has always needed someone who can be malleable enough on that end to allow him to cross-match, and so far, it is LeBron who has taken on that mantle.
While the superstar is not necessarily the one guarding the best player on the other team on most possessions, he has been very effective in holding his opponents to a low shooting percentage. Prior to their game against the Hornets, opposing players shot just 27.8 percent from the field with James as the primary defender –– one of the best marks in the league.
LeBron has not been a proactive piece on defense for quite some time now, but with the 76ers fully committed to their championship bid, it appears that he is returning to his old form as a lockdown defender, albeit in smaller doses. If he can sustain that for the entire campaign, Philadelphia should have an even higher ceiling.
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