Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse already has a clear vision for how LeBron James will be used as the team prepares for a season with championship expectations.
“I think he’s an offense creator,” Nurse said speaking on the Takeoff with John Clark podcast. “I think he certainly is a guy that will bring the ball up the floor and try to create for himself or others — really (well) for others. And I think that lends itself to (point guard), yeah.”
James arrives in Philadelphia after averaging 7.2 assists per game in his final season with the Lakers, adding another elite playmaker alongside Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown as the Sixers reshape their roster.
Nurse also revealed he was involved in Philadelphia’s pitch to James during free agency and believes the veteran’s impact will extend well beyond the court.
“First of all, I think he’s a great player and we’re fortunate to have him on the team,” Nurse said. “That’s kind of where I started. I said, ‘I think you slot right in there perfectly.’ We did talk about some multi-position situations. We talked to him just about his leadership in general, his professionalism in general … that could help raise the level of some things. Talked about his late-game play and some things like that. That’s about it.”
Preparing for a roster loaded with star talent has also meant plenty of film study.
Nurse said he’s been revisiting years of footage featuring both James and Brown to better understand how each player has been used throughout their careers.
“With these guys in particular, just really zeroing in on Jaylen Brown’s last few years in Boston,” Nurse said. “Just really watching, an overload almost, of how they used him, all the sets they used. It’s been really fun going back and watching. I’ve obviously coached against Jaylen a lot recently … and then a lot of years (against) LeBron when he was in Cleveland.
“You remember the huge play packages that they had, especially for LeBron but also for Jaylen. … Even if it’s seven, eight years ago, you can pull some of that stuff out, stuff they’re comfortable with and that they’ve done. And see how it fits once we get there.”
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