LeBron James as center? “That’s not what I’m here for”
LeBron James can play any position, but playing center every night is another story. After the loss to the Pistons, he makes that clear
At 41 and in his 24th NBA season, LeBron James continues to show he can play practically any position. That includes center, as he did in the Philadelphia 76ers’ first loss of the season against the Detroit Pistons.
Without Joel Embiid, who was resting on the second night of a back-to-back, Philadelphia went with a smaller lineup, asking LeBron to play the five. The experiment exposed some limitations, particularly on the glass, and James wanted to clear things up right away.
LeBron James: “We have an MVP. I don’t need to play center”
Asked about the possibility of playing that position regularly, LeBron pointed toward Embiid’s locker.
Man, we’ve got an MVP right here! I didn’t come to Philadelphia to play center full time. We have Joel Embiid on this team. I don’t think it’s a long-term solution, but we know we can use it when we need to
LeBron James
The four-time MVP reiterated that he has no problem adapting to the team’s needs, while stressing that it’s an option for specific situations.
I know I can play all five positions, offensively and defensively, if needed. But if I said I was brought here to play center all the time, I don’t think any of us would be happy
LeBron James
“Playing center completely changes how you play”
For LeBron, the adjustment goes beyond facing more physical opponents near the basket.
Playing center means having different responsibilities at both ends of the floor, from screening for teammates to handling defensive situations.
You go from playing on the perimeter and running to being the focal point in the middle of the floor. Offensively, you have to set a lot more screens and try to create space for the guards, so you have to change your approach
LeBron James
The perspective changes on defense, too.
When I’m guarding a perimeter player, I’m usually the third line of defense, and I can see everything happening. At center, I become the second line because I’m dealing with guys setting screens and fighting for position near the rim. It changes how you read the game a little
LeBron James
Still, LeBron doesn’t view the situation as particularly difficult.
I wouldn’t call it a challenge. It’s basketball. I take pride in being able to play any position that can help the team. We’re still trying to find our balance, and I just want to do everything possible to win
LeBron James
The clearest difference in the loss to Detroit came on the glass, where the Pistons grabbed 54 rebounds to the Sixers’ 37.
That number is even more significant considering Detroit played without Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, two important contributors to the team’s physical presence.
There were a few balls that slipped through our hands, but we have to do a better job making contact, man to man. They’re a really good rebounding team even without Duren and Thompson. They’ve shown that over the last few years
LeBron James
Asked how they could improve in practical terms, though, James chose to finish with a joke, quoting former teammate Taurean Prince.
In the great words of Taurean Prince, who I saw on the bench tonight and who’s a great friend of mine: “The ball goes up, and you have to go get it.” That’s what we need to do
LeBron James
A decidedly simple explanation for a problem Philadelphia will need to solve, especially when Embiid is unavailable.