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Nothing raises the stakes more for an NBA team than adding LeBron James to the roster.
As shocking as it was when the 76ers traded for Jaylen Brown in the offseason, expectations for Philly didn’t really take off until James landed there in free agency. Their win total for the upcoming season jumped from the mid-40s to 50.5 after The Last Decision.
Some of that jump can be attributed to the fact that casual NBA fans will assume the 76ers are contenders simply because of James’ name recognition. Sportsbooks know they can take advantage of overexcited bettors. But James’ reputation precedes him — his teams have won 50-plus games in 14 of his 23 seasons.
Since James took the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007 as a 22-year-old phenom, he has been judged solely by whether he ended the season with a championship or concession. Winning is paramount, and everyone has to step to the pressure or suffer the consequences.
Even situations that presumably paint James in a good light as a leader but are apparently untrue — Mike Breen’s anecdote about James scolding Joel Embiid for being late to practice — can create a championship-or-bust environment that is sometimes chaotic for his teammates.
That is the LeBron James effect in a nutshell.
The 76ers ended last season with mixed emotions. In the first round of the playoffs, they defeated the Celtics in a Game 7 on the road to upset the No. 2 seed in the East. Then they were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the Knicks after New York fans took over their building in Games 3 and 4.
Before James and Brown joined the team, Philly looked like it was headed for another season where good was good enough.
Their offense and defense both finished a hair below league average but they fought their way to 45 wins and a playoff berth by empowering Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe to be a dynamic scoring duo. When Embiid wasn’t sidelined with injuries, his fit with the two speedy guards was questionable at best.
This season, all of the main stakeholders are surrounded by some of the best talent they’ve been around in their careers. Brown is a Finals MVP, Embiid was the league MVP in 2023, and James has done both more times than most players in NBA history.
All three are in a position where they feel they have something to prove: Brown feels scorned by the Celtics who traded him, Embiid is looking to play enough games to be considered a top-five player again, and James is trying to outrun Father Time at 41 years old.
Those motivations will be useful in the regular season, especially on nights when one of the stars needs to carry the load for an extended period. Whether it gets the Sixers a championship is another question.
James should have the easiest time adjusting to the hybrid role he’ll need to play. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer can also be effective without the ball as a screener and cutter; plus, teams won’t be able to double-team him because the Sixers have threats all over the floor.
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That should allow him to score much easier but also be a better facilitator. Most importantly, he won’t have to play heavy minutes as the primary ball-handler, which should mean more games in the long run.
The East will be crowded this season, but few teams can say they have as much talent as the Sixers. I think there’s a good chance they end up as one of the top-three teams in the East. I like them to go over 50 wins and I also think we’ll see James turn into a triple-double machine for Philly.
The Picks: LeBron James 5+ Triple Doubles (+280, DraftKings) | 76ers Over 50.5 (+100, Caesars)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.