LeBron James's 76ers Gamble Produces NBA's Best Start

The Philadelphia 76ers hold the NBA's best record through Thursday after beating the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday to improve to 8-1, according to NBC News. LeBron James signed with the team in free agency over the summer, his fourth team change in free agency, bypassing offers that reportedly included the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers, NBC News reported, citing a list agent Rich Paul circulated during the process.

How has Philadelphia's starting five performed together?

The Sixers paired James with Jaylen Brown, acquired in an offseason trade, alongside returning starters Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe and Joel Embiid. Those five players have combined for 36 career All-Star selections, five MVP awards and five Finals MVP awards, per NBC News. In 77 minutes on the court together across the team's first five games, the group has outscored opponents by 15 points, the outlet reported.

What makes the 76ers' defense statistically notable?

Philadelphia's opening lineup is holding opponents to 95.4 points per 100 possessions, according to NBC News. The league's top-ranked defense overall entering Thursday allowed 103 points per 100 possessions, meaning the Sixers' starting unit is outperforming the NBA's best full-season defensive mark by roughly 7.6 points per 100 possessions in its limited sample.

"Our defense is going to be our identity," James said after Wednesday's win over the Pistons, according to NBC News. "We have a lot of scoring. We know that from individuals. We're still figuring out that side of the floor out on the offensive side. Defensively, that's where we are going to make our mark."

How does James's individual production compare to past seasons?

Through his first seven games, James is averaging 15.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists per night, per NBC News figures. The outlet characterized the workload as James pacing himself on a roster with multiple established scorers, though no comparison to his career scoring averages was included in the available reporting.

Which two-man combinations with James are working?

Every two-man lineup pairing James with Maxey, Brown, Embiid or Edgecombe has outscored opponents through the team's first nine games, NBC News reported. The outlet did not publish the specific plus-minus figures for each individual pairing.

Glossary

Points per 100 possessions: A pace-adjusted efficiency metric used to compare offenses and defenses regardless of how many possessions a team plays in a game.

Plus-minus: The net point differential, measured in this case as the number of points a lineup outscores opponents by during its shared minutes on the floor.

Finals MVP: An annual award given to the top-performing player of the NBA Finals, cited here as part of the combined accolades of Philadelphia's five starters.

For comparison on how a different NBA market has handled roster-driven demand, see Knicks Release Single-Game Tickets After Ending Title Drought.