Superstar forward LeBron James made his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers against the defending-champion New York Knicks on NBA's opening night. James tallied 14 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in the contest, and his production helped propel Philadephia to a 106-100 victory.
James was solid in his Sixers debut, but he didn't turn in a perfect performance. Here, we'll look at both the good and the bad from James' first game in a Sixers uniform—though as is typically the case when it comes to James, the good far outweighed the bad.
LeBron James' passing, rebounding and versatility were on full display in 76ers debut
When discussing the good aspects of James' 76ers debut, one should start with his playmaking. James led the Sixers in assists in both of the games that he played in during the preseason, and it was the same story in the season-opener.
James' seven assists against New York represented a team high, and he probably would have had a few more, too, if not for his teammates missing some open opportunities. James is one of the best passers and playmakers that the NBA has ever seen, and he's certainly the best on Philadelphia's roster when it comes to generating opportunities for others. That's already evident after just one game.
Then there's the rebounding. James was Philadelphia's second-leading rebounder against New York, as only starting center Joel Embiid corralled more boards than James did in the game. James has always been a productive rebounder from the forward position, and that skill will be especially important in Philadelphia, as the Sixers don't have many other players on the roster known for their prowess on the glass.
If James can continue to be a major contributor with boards, it will be a big boon for Philadelphia's high-powered offense having even more opportunities to score. James is often able to parlay defensive rebounds directly into fast break opportunities, which makes his rebounding even more impactful.
James' versatility was also on full-display in Philadelphia's season-opener. While versatility is less statistically quantifiable compared to rebounds or assists, it can be equally as impactful.
With the Sixers thin in the frontcourt due to injuries to Dominick Barlow and Dean Wade, James actually spent stretches as the de facto center in small-ball lineups for Philly against the Knicks. There wasn't a major drop defensively from Philadelphia when he was in this role, and it allowed for increased switchability for the rest of the defense.
It's not a role that we should expect James to fill often, but the fact that he is capable of filling it for stretches is a luxury for the Sixers.
LeBron James struggled from long range in Sixers debut
Meanwhile, the only real negative from James' 76ers debut was his shooting from beyond the arc. James missed all three of his attempts from long range, despite having some open opportunities.
Three-point shooting was never one of James' best skills, but he's improved mightily over the course of his career, and he's much better from beyond the arc than he showed in his first game with the Sixers.
He's shot 34 percent from long range over the course of his career, and that's in line with what we should expect to see from him this season.
James had some overall shooting struggles, too, going only 5 of 13 from the field, which could be attributed to some rust and adjusting to an entirely new team dynamic. His 14 points might not be enough against other teams in the league, so it'll be important for him to find his scoring role in Philly.
But outside of that, it's hard to find much fault in James' first Sixers performance.
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