NBA Coach Calls Out LeBron James, Says 76ers Need Backup PG amid Roster Overhaul

An assistant coach for an Eastern Conference team questioned the Philadelphia 76ers' backup point guard concerns and wondered whether recently acquired LeBron James would be up to the task full-time.

The unnamed coach made the remarks to ESPN's Vincent Goodwill, who polled coaches, front office executives and scouts about how the upcoming matchups between the 76ers and the defending NBA champion New York Knicks could shape up this season.

"Another East assistant coach called the 76ers' potential issues 'dynamic s---' that's far more detail-oriented than eye-popping," Goodwill wrote.

"Who's their backup point guard? LeBron isn't bringing the ball up against anybody that's going to pressure him," the coach said to Goodwill.

"He's proven at this stage of his career he doesn't want that part of the responsibility. Now, he's a facilitator. But he won't bring it up against pressure."

On paper, James appears to be the 76ers' starting power forward alongside Tyrese Maxey at point guard, VJ Edgecombe at shooting guard, Jaylen Brown at small forward and Joel Embiid at center.

The 76ers do have talent on the bench that can bring the ball up, including rookie point guard Labaron Philon Jr., the 22nd overall pick in the NBA draft.

The former Alabama star averaged 22.0 points and 5.0 assists in his sophomore season with the Crimson Tide before following that up with 18.5 points and 5.8 assists per game in four Las Vegas Summer League contests.

Philadelphia could also turn to recently acquired Anfernee Simons if need be. Simons is a shooting guard by trade but actually led the Portland Trail Blazers in assists (5.5 APG) in 2023-24 and was second in that category in 2024-25 (4.8 APG).

On the flip side, Philon has zero NBA experience right now, and Simons isn't a point guard. The 76ers therefore don't have a veteran point guard with experience coming off the bench right now, so that could create some concern.

Adding a player of James' caliber, though, is still a colossal win for the 76ers on paper. The 41-year-old, who is entering his 24th NBA season, has proven he's still got it after averaging 20.9 points on 51.5 percent shooting, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds last year for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The biggest question is how everyone will fit together on the 76ers, but James notably took a backseat to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves last year and was the team's third scoring option, so it's not inconceivable to see the four-time NBA MVP finding a way to fit in among fellow stars.