LeBron James more important to 76ers than Joel Embiid, says Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins is not picking Joel Embiid as the Philadelphia 76ers' most important player. On ESPN's NBA Today, the former center argued the new arrival — 42-year-old LeBron James — is the piece that changes everything.

James is beginning his 24th NBA season, his first in Philadelphia after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 76ers also landed Jaylen Brown in the same offseason, and Perkins said that combination matters more than Embiid's résumé because of the big man's injury history. A healthy Embiid, he added, is the open question.

"The problem is what is a healthy Joel Embiid? Like, is that MVP Joel Embiid? I don't believe so."

Perkins continued: "I watched him throughout the course of the preseason. He looks in great shape. I don't see the lift right now. Adding Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason first made them, to me, a Conference Finals type. Then you add LeBron James, and all of a sudden, they become real legit championship contenders. It's exactly why LeBron James is the important piece on this 76ers team."

For James, the move closes one era and opens another. He is a first-ballot Hall of Famer whenever he retires, but a fifth championship is still the goal as he begins his 76ers stint — and Philadelphia now gives him a realistic shot at it.

LeBron starts a new chapter in Philadelphia

Philadelphia finished 45-37 last season and secured the seventh seed in the East. They stunned the Boston Celtics in seven games in the playoffs before the eventual champion New York Knicks swept them in the next round.

The 76ers close out the preseason against the Celtics on Oct. 16, then open the regular season on the road against the Knicks on Oct. 20 — the same New York team that ended their last playoff run. For a roster that added two stars in one summer, Perkins is betting the LeBron question, not Embiid's, is the one that decides the season.