Last Friday, NBA fans got the long awaited decision on where Lebron James will take his talents next season. The King decided that he will end his story in Philadelphia, a place that I never thought I would have to cheer for, but wherever Bron goes, I go. Lebron signed a two year deal worth only eight million dollars… The undoubtedly best contract in the NBA now. Bron will play alongside with a star studded starting lineup of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecomb, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid. I decided to give the starting lineup a nickname of Death Row, because when this lineup is healthy, there will not be a lineup of guys who will be able to match up defensively with them. Today I wanted to dive into the Sixers team for the upcoming season and talk about how this is a perfect spot for Lebron’s final chapter in the NBA, and gives him a chance to go get ring number five. 

 

Philly?

When I heard the news that Lebron had signed with the Sixers, I was flabbergasted. I never really took Philly as a serious contender to sign Lebron, with my brain just being on Cleveland, Miami, and Golden State. I thought he would maybe want to come home, or maybe head out to South Beach and enjoy the weather, or go run it up with Steph Curry. But Lebron had other plans in mind, and I couldn’t agree more with the decision. Lebron slides right into Philly’s need for another forward, and immediately gives the 76ers offense a true playmaker that it will need with how many scoring heads they have in that starting lineup. Joining the East was also a decision that had to be made if he wanted to chase championship number five. Yes I know the Knicks won last season, but the Spurs and Thunder are only getting better and will be a nightmare to face next season. So going to the East and having to fend off a little older team in the Knicks is probably his best bet, Especially with the cast he has around him now in Maxey, VJ, JB and Embiid. I also heard Lebron might be a big cheesesteak guy, so what better place to come to. 

 

Death Row:

As I have mentioned above throughout the article, this lineup is disgusting. In the NBA now, with the restrictions of the aprons, it has almost been impossible to get a “super team” together. But when you have one of those superstars only taking up 2.35% of the team’s total cap, it makes a superteam possible. The Sixers have an emerging superstar in Tyrese Maxey who is a mismatch for anybody with his 99 speed. VJ Edgecomb is a young stud, who flashed throughout the season, and kind of gives me a little Anthony Edwards vibe at times. Jaylen Brown is coming off the best season of his career and will be doing everything in his power to prove the Celtics wrong for trading him. The big man in the middle, Joel Embiid is still unguardable when healthy and can give you 30 on any given night. Lebron James will slide in perfectly with him being willing to sacrifice being ball dominant for the better of the team, like he had to do in LA last season. Lebron James as your maybe fifth option on some nights, is absolutely absurd. He can still do everything in the game at a high level, and always raises his game in the playoffs. The starting lineup really only has one flaw in it, that being Joel Embiid’s health, and needing his knees to hold up for a championship to be possible. Because, if there is no Joel Embiid that is where this team can run into some problems with their bench…

 

The Bench Mob Problem:

There is absolutely no depth at the center position for the 76ers, after Embiid it comes down to Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti, and Johni Broome… If I had to guess, unless you are a basketball sicko, you have probably never heard of these guys. The rest of the bench is not as bad as I originally thought. They will have rookie Labaron Philion, and some absolute snipers in Anfernee Simmons, KCP, and Dean Wade. The way that the Sixers will be able to stagger their lineups to keep at least 2 of their starters in at all times, will be their superpower and allow them to hide some defensive problems they might have. Filling out the bench with another big, and probably another wing defender is a must for them in my opinion. They will be a tad undersized at all times in the back court, so having another bigger wing to help be physical with opposing teams ball handlers will be needed. They do have Justin Edwards and Jabari Walker as well, who could fit the wing defender role, but I don’t think you’ll be able to count on those guys in the playoffs with the lack of three point shooting from them. Maybe they should call up the Bulls and see what the price of Patrick Williams is. Heard that guy is mini Kawhi Leonard or something…

 

The Right Choice for Another Ring?

I do believe this was the right choice for Lebron with the team that he will have around him for these next two years. A mix of Veteran and Young Stars is the perfect balance to keep teams on their toes, with how many different ways they will attack you. Philly with the Jaylen Brown trade was already a contender to take down the Knicks next season, but now adding Lebron into the fold makes them an even tougher team to beat. Championships aren’t won in July, but the Sixers are doing everything in their power to make sure that this team will have a chance to do that. I love that Lebron went back to the East, as even though it has gotten better as a whole, the superstar power in the west would have been tough to beat if he chose Golden State. I also deep down never wanted him to go back to Cleveland, if I had to watch James Harden only on my team for a whole season, I would lose my mind. Dude dribbles the air out of the basketball, and you just know he won’t show up when it matters the most. Miami is also a team that is a little farther away from contention in my opinion, as the team was derailed in the Giannis trade. The 76ers just makes so much sense for LeBron, he gets to slide into a stacked lineup and help them compete for a championship. I will need to order some new hats and shirts to rep my new number two team. Call me Philly Pete from now on.