RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson shared kind words with LeBron James after the 41-year-old decided to leave LA for the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason.
Johnson recruited James to join the Lakers in 2018, and has shown his support to LeBron as he joins the 76ers in what’s expected to be the final chapter of his career.
However, Magic made it clear that two major questions will follow the 76ers all of next season that they need to answer to be legitimate title contenders.
Magic Johnson wants the 76ers to figure out how LeBron James fits
Johnson shared a message on X where he praised the 76ers for acquiring Jaylen Brown via trade and then signing LeBron as a free agent, calling the revamped team the biggest threat to the Knicks in the East.
“LeBron makes the Sixers one of the best teams in the NBA and the biggest threat to the World Champion Knicks in the Eastern Conference.”
“Philly’s starting lineup will have four All-Stars, LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey, and offensively, they will be great. But all four are used to having the ball in their hands, so I’m interested to see what type of offense Coach Nurse draws up.”
“I have two big questions for Philly: one is on the defensive end, and the other is their team chemistry. If they answer those two… Watch out!
Can the 76ers and LeBron James answer Magic Johnson’s concerns?
Johnson isn’t the only one who believes the offensive fit might be a little clunky with four starters at their best with the ball in their hands. However, with Embiid’s injury history and LeBron’s age, it seems Maxey and Brown will be the primary scoring options in the regular season.
Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images
LeBron’s skills as the best playmaker on this roster might have him be the de facto point guard on offense at times, setting Maxey and Brown up into their spots to simplify the offense for them and the other role players.
Defensively, James proved in the 2026 Playoffs that he can be an above-average frontcourt defender when motivated. With fewer offensive responsibilities, James might be able to hold his own defensively in the Playoffs, but this will be a tangible regular season concern for the 76ers.
But Edgecombe and Brown are two high-level perimeter defenders with Embiid being an above-average rim protector. With high-energy defensive pieces like Dean Wade, Justin Edwards, and Adem Bona off the bench, the franchise could still be a top-10 defense in the NBA.
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