The Philadelphia 76ers will have a ton of offensive options next season. They have a plethora of talent on the roster. But perhaps one of their best options to go to will be an inverted pick-and-roll with LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey. If the Sixers have Maxey screen for James, it will create a whole world of mismatches for them to pick on.
Obviously, everyone will need their touches. Sacrifice will be the name of the game for the Sixers next year. Maxey, James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe will all play a crucial role in the 76ers’ process. But that James-Maxey combination? That mix of passing, size, and bully ball? That may just be the best offensive action in the 76ers’ tool kit.
Philly will be spreading the ball around a lot, but when the Sixers need a bucket – when they need a mismatch – they should look to the James-Maxey inverted pick-and-roll. Or, at least, they should develop it.
The LeBron James-Tyrese Maxey inverted pick-and-roll should be lethal
Imagine this: James with the ball in his hands and one of the opposing team’s worst defenders guarding Maxey. That feels like a pretty common scene that will be set for the Sixers next year.
Maybe the opponent will have an elite guard defender, but most squads won’t have enough bodies to throw at everyone in Philly’s first five. So, Maxey will often find himself being guarded by a smaller guard, even if they are a plus defender.
In that case, James could have the ball at the top of the key, and Maxey could run up to set a screen for him. Then, the game would begin, and the 76ers would have all the advantages.
Let’s say Maxey is being guarded by a smaller guard. Even one that’s a good defender. Someone like Kris Dunn or Jose Alvarado. And maybe James is being checked by Derrick Jones Jr. or Mikal Bridges.
Well, the opposing team probably wouldn’t want to switch that matchup. If they don’t, and Maxey sets a good enough screen, James would have plenty of room to get downhill, and that’s obviously where he thrives.
If they do switch it, then James will have a mismatch. He can bully Alvarado or Dunn, no matter how good a defender they are at the guard spot. He just has a size advantage.
And if they try to hedge or help and recover, Maxey is quick enough to find space off the ball and create for himself. Or, someone else can set an off-ball screen for him, springing him free.
Maxey is a good enough offensive player to make something happen while James finds a way to get the ball to him.
The inverted pick-and-roll with James and Maxey could be one of the most lethal offensive combinations in the NBA next season.
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