Can LeBron James Solve the 76ers’ Center Depth? What the Stats Say

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently facing a significant deficit in their frontcourt depth. Ariel Hukporti, acquired by the franchise during the offseason to serve as the primary substitute for Joel Embiid, suffered an Achilles tear during this week’s preseason opener and is set to sit out the entire 2026-27 campaign. While Adem Bona remains on the roster and Dominick Barlow—ordinarily a power forward—can potentially fill in at the five spot, the reality of managing a team centered around Embiid must be kept in mind. With your franchise center having appeared in just 96 matches over the previous three years, preparing for extended periods without him is essential. Although the Bona-Barlow combination flashed potential at times last season, they are unlikely to suffice on their own should Embiid encounter any major physical setbacks.

By a stroke of fortune, the 76ers inadvertently resolved this dilemma back in late July by signing the most adaptable athlete in NBA history to a veteran’s minimum deal. Basketball offers very few utility players as effective as LeBron James. “The beauty of my style of play is that I’m capable of doing anything,” James remarked during media day. “I can truly do it all.” 76ers head coach Nick Nurse seemed to echo this sentiment, mentioning James as a viable candidate to log minutes as a backup center following Hukporti’s injury. “LeBron is certainly in the mix. He has experience operating as a small-ball center,” Nurse noted.

James, who is scheduled to make his first preseason appearance with the 76ers on Thursday night, has indeed functioned as a small-ball center before, though it is a relatively recent development in his career. While he has spent his entire career regarded as one of the rare players who could masterfully occupy all five spots on the floor, he didn’t regularly transition to the center position until five seasons ago. At that point, necessity forced the hand of a star-heavy but incredibly shallow Los Angeles Lakers squad.

Consequently, what insights can we glean from LeBron’s previous stints as a pivot? Let’s examine the statistical breakdown provided by lineup analytics from Cleaning the Glass.

Analyzing LeBron at Center

Several trends emerge from these metrics. The vast majority of James’ runs at center occurred during the 2021-22 season. In fact, he logged almost as many possessions at the position that year as Embiid did throughout the entirety of last season (2,481). Furthermore, the data indicates that these lineups consistently produced highly efficient offenses, whereas the defensive end frequently struggled or outright collapsed.

This outcome is entirely logical. Centers are generally the weakest playmakers on the court, yet in these configurations, they are replaced by LeBron James. Over each of these five campaigns, units featuring LeBron at the five spot placed in the 88th percentile or higher in effective field goal percentage, and in four of those five seasons, they ranked in at least the 82nd percentile for minimizing turnovers.

The obvious drawback is that these lineups struggled to secure offensive boards, with four of those five years ranking below the 38th percentile in offensive rebounding percentage. While this deficiency might seem problematic in a league currently highlighting second-chance opportunities, the 76ers were likely to struggle in this area regardless. Philadelphia excelled on the offensive glass last season when Andre Drummond was active, but grabbed under 29% of available offensive rebounds in his absence—a mark well below the league average. Minimizing turnovers can help offset a lack of offensive rebounding, a trait shared by both LeBron-at-center lineups and last year’s 76ers team.

From a defensive standpoint, there are few redeeming qualities. In theory, having one of the most brilliant minds in basketball history anchoring the defense and calling out coverages from the backline is an asset. However, the trade-offs in rim protection, rebounding, and regular-season energy expenditure (given that he is nearing his 42nd birthday) far outweigh the strategic benefits.

Furthermore, this Philadelphia roster does not boast an abundance of defensive playmakers, particularly with the departures of Paul George and Kelly Oubre. Consequently, these lineups are unlikely to force many turnovers, which limits opportunities for their potentially potent transition offense to run. On the positive side, utilizing James at the five spot should naturally increase his defensive rebounding numbers, allowing one of the premier outlet passers in basketball history to jumpstart possessions directly, likely leading to high-efficiency transition opportunities.

Ultimately, it represents a compromise that leans slightly positive, and this version of the 76ers possesses far more raw talent than any of those past Lakers rosters. The bar for reserve units is quite low. These lineups do not need to dominate their matchups when Philadelphia’s starting unit is expected to be elite; they simply need to hold the line until Embiid returns to the floor. This makes such configurations well worth exploring in the early stages of the season, and perhaps even more frequently depending on their efficacy.

However, how often they deploy this look is not just about its on-court success, but also its broader impact on the long-term health of the team. James is approaching age 42. When he first began playing center, the NBA featured more downsized lineups where traditional forwards frequently filled in at the five. Today’s league is physically larger, with a renewed emphasis on physical rebounding and grueling interior play. James is already managing foot arthritis and dealt with back sciatica last year. Subjecting him to the wear and tear of his most physically demanding position is a risky proposition. Regulating his physical load must remain an ongoing collaborative effort between James, Nurse, and the organization’s medical staff.

At this stage, the 76ers should view LeBron playing center as a specialized tool. It is best saved for favorable matchups or emergency scenarios. A major advantage of rosterings LeBron James is his unparalleled ability to execute any role on the court, which provides tactical options that other teams simply do not possess. He can fill this role if needed, but overusing him in the post will cause the physical and defensive drawbacks to outweigh the benefits. If the 76ers manage this asset wisely, it will serve as an incredibly potent option in their tactical playbook.