The Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Detroit Pistons at home today (the 26th), fighting for a 4th straight win to start the season. With franchise center Joel Embiid, a candidate for the MVP award, sidelined for the second game of a back-to-back due to right plantar fasciitis management, the 76ers coaching staff announced that 41-year-old legend LeBron James would take over the starting center spot, making his first ever start for the 76ers.

　　Embiid Just Notched A Triple-Double Before Being Forced To Rest; James Returns From Back Injury To Patrol The Paint

　　In Saturday's 127-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Embiid dropped a 28-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double to lead the team to a 3rd straight win. Though Embiid joked after the game that he wanted media to pressure the team to let him play back-to-backs, the 76ers medical staff prioritized his long-term health and rested him for the back-to-back. Meanwhile, James, who missed the previous game for lower back and sciatica maintenance, returned from injury and immediately took on a new role in this game. The 76ers official starting lineup is: Tyrese Maxey, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jaylen Brown, Dean Wade, and LeBron James at center. 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said in a pre-game interview that the team would split center duties between James, Adem Bona, and Wade, and had full confidence in James: "I think he'll be totally fine at the 5 spot."

　　Extreme Small Ball Lineup Activated; James Runs The Show To Free Maxey And Brown

　　Though James has spent most of his career as an outside playmaker, his elite size, passing vision, and post moves make him the most dangerous "invisible center" for a small-ball lineup. Nurse noted that this shift lets the 76ers run high-post sets with James as the hub, surrounded by multiple perimeter and driving threats. Once the Pistons try to collapse into the paint, James' pinpoint passes create plenty of open looks for Maxey and Brown on the perimeter, and he can also switch to defend opponents on the other end. The only test is that James has to handle the high-intensity workload of boxing out, rebounding, and physical rim protection in the paint.

　　Pistons' Two Star Players Out With Injuries Create Opportunity; 76ers' Small Ball Gets A Great Test

　　The 76ers' bold small ball experiment is partly thanks to the Pistons' injury-riddled roster. The Pistons, who have looked impressive to start the season, have two starting stars sidelined: starting center Jalen Duren, who just signed a 5-year, $200 million max deal, is out for two weeks with a right hamstring strain, and All-Defensive Team wing Ausar Thompson is also out with a right ankle sprain. With the Pistons' paint height and perimeter mobility greatly diminished, the 76ers got a perfect chance to test their system in a real game. For the 76ers, a team aiming for a championship, how to handle life without Embiid throughout the long season has always been their biggest question; and James' effectiveness as a fill-in at the 5 spot will undoubtedly provide a possible answer for the team's future rotation adjustments.