LeBron James announced Friday that he is signing a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers, securing the last stop of a legendary career. The 41-year-old superstar is joining a Philadelphia squad that is making a serious push to contend in the 2027 season. But, is it enough to overtake the defending champion New York Knicks?
I don’t think so. Here’s why.
STARTING 5’s
It is not easy to compete with the Knicks. Its core has played together for multiple years, every player understands their role and the team’s identity, and they are coming off a record-breaking playoff run that culminated in a historic championship victory.
“It was our mentality,” Knicks star Mikal Bridges said. “We all wanted the same goal. We understood that it’s going to take everybody. It’s pretty easy when everybody’s got the same mindset.”
New York will bring back its entire starting five from last season as they work to repeat as NBA champions.
The 76ers’ starting five will feature James as well as former MVP Joel Embiid, young stars Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, who the team acquired from the Celtics this offseason.
Although the 76ers’ talent is undeniable, the team currently has more questions than answers.
Philadelphia will have to build chemistry on the fly during a regular season when it is hard to rely on consistency. As a result, it may prove difficult for the 76ers to establish an identity.
It was reported that James frequently plays point guard and relies on his passing to set up his star teammates. With James running the offense, these typically high-usage players will have to sacrifice scoring opportunities and adjust their playstyle to fit the team’s needs.
Neither is an easy task.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
So how do the two teams match up on the court?
The 76ers are expected to get most of their offensive firepower from the wings, where players like Maxey, Brown, and Edgecombe will be positioned to do the most damage. Even Embiid often operates from the outside.
Unfortunately for the 76ers, this plays right into the Knicks’ strengths. Wing defenders such as OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart take pride in these assignments and stopping the point of attack. Their length will make it difficult for the 76ers to run their preferred offense.
“I take tremendous pride in it,” Hart said. “My job is to go out there and read the game and do whatever it takes to win. Whether that’s rebounding, defense [or] energy plays.”
On the other end, the 76ers project to be subpar defensively. Although players like Brown and Dean Wade are effective defenders, most of the 76ers roster contains older stars and players who are certainly not known for their defense, to put it kindly.
The Knicks would be able to hunt favorable matchups throughout this hypothetical series. Elite playmaking, spacing, and athleticism make guarding the Knicks a difficult assignment for any team, let alone one with clear defensive gaps.
IN THE PAINT
The Knicks can also expect to outrebound the 76ers. New York was ranked seventh in rebounding last season, and they added center Andre Drummond in free agency to replace Mitchell Robinson. Drummond was the 76ers’ leading rebounder last year, and his departure left Philadelphia’s frontcourt depleted.
One of the most entertaining aspects of this matchup would be a battle between two of the league’s most unique centers. Embiid proved in the 76ers’ 3-1 playoff comeback over the Celtics that he is still capable of taking over games and playing at an MVP-level.
Karl Anthony-Towns, meanwhile, proved he is capable of elevating his play to compete with the game’s best bigs and greatly improved as a defender. Both players, being skilled shooters, will certainly make for a closely contested showdown as well.
“I wholeheartedly believe in my heart [that] I’m a generational talent,” Towns said. “And my generation hasn’t passed yet. I still [have] time to utilize all that experience. You gotta bring a generational effort to a game.”
HOW THE TEAMS ARE BUILT
The 76ers will also be dangerous because of their playmaking. When a team boasts this many stars, it is difficult for a defense to cover each of them sufficiently. This can lead to mismatches or open cutting lanes, which Philadelphia may take advantage of, and James will be able to identify and exploit.
The Knicks have a notable advantage in coaching and depth. While Nick Nurse has proved to be a legitimate coach, he has just one series victory during his tenure with the 76ers compared to the immediate success achieved by Knicks head coach Mike Brown.
New York retained many key contributors on their bench with the re-signing of Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Clarkson. The 76ers, meanwhile, will depend on a group of players who have yet to prove they can compete at a high level.
THE LEBRON FACTOR
If there’s one player known for making it work with any group of players, it’s LeBron James. James has played all five positions throughout his career, can understand an opponent better than anyone else, and will attempt to adapt again to what his team needs most.
“I’m a natural-born leader,” James said. “[I will] give them all the tools and give them all the knowledge that I’ve been able to grasp over the last 23 years. I know the game, I know the ins and outs about the game of basketball.”
After accepting a reduced role last year on the Lakers, operating mostly as the third option, it appears James will run the offense for the 76ers. James, who made his 22nd career All-Star team last season, will look to set up his star teammates with elite passes, mismatches, and high-level pick-and-roll play.
IN THE END…
While the two teams are obviously close, there remains one key element we have yet to discuss.
That’s Jalen Brunson.
In the second round of last year’s playoffs, Brunson averaged 29 points and 6 assists per game against the 76ers while shooting over 50% from the field and nearly 45% from three-point range en route to a dominating four-game sweep.
The 76ers hope their answer is Jaylen Brown, who has proven to be an elite two-way player during his time in Boston. However, since joining the Knicks, Brunson has averaged 26 points and seven assists against Brown.
The 76ers have not solved the Brunson problem. No team has.
“There are very few guys in the league where, in the last minute or two of the game, you want to just make sure you’re in a position to have it be a one-position game,” Hart said. ”We know if we’re in that position… we’re gonna give [Brunson] the ball, and he’s gonna make the right play.”
NBA history has taught us that when two teams are close, the one with the best player in the series, the player you can most rely on to come through in the critical moments, almost always wins.
New York has important advantages on defense, in the paint, and in the culture they have built. Jalen Brunson remains unequivocally the best player in the series.
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