Whenever LeBron James joined a new team, the same result happened: slow starts. The 2010-11 Heat lost seven of their first 15 games in James’ inaugural season; the 2014-15 Cavaliers began 19-20; the 2018-19 Lakers missed the playoffs. But the 76ers are on pace to defeat that decade-long trend, thanks to James.

Philadelphia has won its three games of the season. It fended off the Knicks and Cavaliers, with James as a key factor. James didn't play in Saturday night's 127-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 41-year-old is posting 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, with his two-way versatility shaping the 76ers’ early identity. Philadelphia brought in James to do a bit of everything, and that’s exactly what he’s done.

Point LeBron

It starts offensively. Many wondered how the 76ers’ offense would look, balancing James, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid. James’ playmaking and downhill pressure are helping the team figure out their offensive identity, albeit it’s a work in progress. 

Philadelphia is recording 106.1 points per 100 possessions when James is on the court—1.1 more points vs. when he sits, per Basketball Reference.

The 76ers envisioned James as a point forward, and that’s what he’s been. Three starters scored off James’ seven assists against the Knicks on Oct. 20: Maxey, Brown, and Embiid. The four-time champion made the most of Jaylen Brown without the ball, finding him ducking in for his first points as a 76er and hitting him in stride for three using an off-ball action.

He also created a three-pointer for Embiid out of a pick-and-pop—something we’ll likely see more of as the season progresses. Yet Brown and Embiid haven’t been limited to finishing plays off James’ downhill gravity; they’ve had plenty of opportunity to be themselves. But that’s what makes Philadelphia’s offense so unpredictable: it can look drastically different each possession.

Look no further than the budding two-man connection between James and Maxey, who swayed him to the 76ers. A lot of it has been James finding Maxey streaking in transition, which has been game-changing as Maxey re-acclimates to more off-ball responsibility. But they’ve also been screening for each other.

In the second quarter against New York, Mikal Bridges denied Maxey a James ball screen, so James slipped, Maxey found him off the short-roll, and James detected Brown cutting from the weak side for an easy dunk. That is a blueprint for how these stars can co-exist. Conversely, Maxey screened for James against Cleveland on Oct. 22 and slipped it for an easy James layup.

The 76ers are outscoring opponents by 18.8 points per 100 possessions when James and Maxey share the floor, according to Databallr. Granted, it’s a two-game sample size, but it’s reflective of the chaos they can brew on both ends of the court when James is at his best.

The defense

It’s difficult to discuss James’ impact without mentioning his defensive savvy, which discombobulated the Knicks and Cavaliers. The scheme is simple: put James on the opposing center and let Embiid play a free safety role. James possessed the physicality to joust Karl-Anthony Towns and Jarrett Allen while Embiid roamed off Josh Hart and Peyton Watson to clog the paint.

Nick Nurse deployed this strategy in the second half of both games. The outcome? Philadelphia won both third frames, outscoring Cleveland and New York by 27 total points in the period—game-swinging spans. The 76ers want to keep Embiid as energized as possible, and this adjustment is one way of doing it.

James’ ability to guard multiple positions bore fruit offensively too. The stops the 76ers got allowed them to run in transition, where they’re nearly unstoppable. James’ quick decision-making and speed have been a luxury. 10 of his 17 points on the Cavaliers came in the third quarter, when James plowed through Cleveland’s scrambled defense.

Philadelphia still isn’t perfect on either end of the court, and the Knicks and Cavaliers may play differently in April. But James’ toolsiness is helping the 76ers forge a reputation as a team that can throw a different look at you in any setting. Nurse has already used James in a multitude of ways, and Philadelphia is just getting started.