LeBron James is putting up 15.5 points per game in his first four appearances with the Philadelphia 76ers, a serious dip from his Lakers numbers. But if you’re worried King James is fading, he’s here to tell you to chill: he’s “still adjusting” to his new squad.
The King’s New Kingdom Blues, Or Just a Slow Start?
Dude told Steve Nash on NBA on Prime that eight years in Los Angeles ain’t easy to just shake off, you know? “I am adjusting, still,” he said ahead of Friday night’s NBA Cup opener against the New York Knicks. It sounds like a process, not a switch. He signed a two-year deal with the Sixers this offseason, and his final year with the Lakers saw him drop 20.9 points per game. So yeah, 15.5 points, 6.5 boards, 6.8 assists, and 1.8 steals in 33 minutes a night with Philly is a noticeable change.
It’s not just the stats; he even sat out the first game of a back-to-back last week to manage his workload. The man is clearly taking it slow, literally. But he promises it’ll ramp up, saying “every day, every week, every month, I’ll continue to get better and better. My body will continue to ramp up, and the play will get better.”
Philly Needs That “Better” Play NOW
The thing is, the Sixers could really use that ramp-up *now*. Jaylen Brown is sidelined, ruled out for Friday night’s game with a left knee injury. That’s a huge piece missing from the puzzle. So while Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope might see more minutes, the pressure is squarely on LeBron to start delivering more of that “better and better” play he’s talking about. They need his production to cover that hole, especially in these early-season matchups.
Friday night’s NBA Cup opener against the Knicks is where we’ll see if that “getting better” starts taking hold. Can LeBron shake off the adjustment period and give the Sixers what they need with Brown out? We’re all watching to see if King James still reigns or if this adjustment period is going to drag out a bit longer.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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