LeBron James' decision as to where he'd spend his 24th NBA season came down to the Philadelphia 76ers, Cavaliers, Heat, and the Warriors. It's still early, but looking around at where he could've ended up, he has to feel even better about where he is now.
He made it clear that he wanted to compete for a fifth championship, and the season didn't need to start for it to be clear that his odds of doing so were the lowest in Golden State. Steph Curry is still Steph Curry, but the Warriors were already fighting an uphill battle without Jimmy Butler, and on top of that, they don't have their starting center, Kristaps Porziņġis (and he may not return).
He could've gone to Miami, and the Heat's trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo may have made that more likely (given his desire to win), but they have issues that go beyond trying to gel a new-look roster. As constructed, their roster lacks the offensive firepower to make a deep playoff run. There is a reason why they started the season 0-4 before finally beating the Hawks.
Then there's Cleveland, which, for a couple of weeks, seemed like LeBron's top destination. The Cavaliers could've given him a better chance to beat the Heat or Warriors, and after starting 3-2, they still don't seem to have the right personnel or the will to win a title. Blowing leads is also still an issue.
Philadelphia makes the most sense for LeBron James
Again, it's too soon to say with 100 percent certainty that James was right to choose the Sixers, but you can understand why he chose Philadelphia.
He said Tyrese Maxey was a big reason he signed with the Sixers, and the guard is already proving him right by playing like an early MVP candidate. He took matters into his own hands on Wednesday after Philadelphia entered the fourth quarter against Indiana down 13, scoring 17 of his 27 points to win. LeBron didn't have to put his team on his back, as he has done so many times in the past.
The Jaylen Brown trade caught LeBron's eye as he considered his future, and the former Finals MVP is averaging 20.6 points per game as he works to find his offensive rhythm. He can do more than score, as shown by his 10 rebounds on Wednesday, four of which came on the offensive end. His style of play also helps take pressure off James.
The biggest knock on Philadelphia is the lack of an adequate backup big man behind Joel Embiid, and while LeBron can help, the Sixers can't rely on him to consistently fill that role. It's an issue that they need to fix, and they've taken a step towards doing so by applying for a disabled player exception after Ariel Hukporti suffered a torn Achilles in the preseason.
Case in point: the Sixers are still working through their own, but they're only five games into the season. They're 4-1, including a win over the Knicks on their banner night and a come-from-behind win over the Cavaliers.
This is a team many didn't think would come out the way they have right out of the gate, and while plenty of games remain, LeBron's decision to play in Philly looks even better now than it did in July.
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