Knicks' title shows why LeBron's 76ers are doomed right from the start

LeBron James was going to sign with the New York Knicks until they won the championship, the rumors have said. Instead, he chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. In doing so, he proved that he wasn't paying attention to the Knicks' run to the title at all.

The Knicks just shocked the world and won the championship in dominant fashion, with a team that fit together seamlessly and destroyed all comers. They took down probable alien life form Victor Wembanyama in just five games in the NBA Finals. The second two rounds in the East took just eight games.

If anyone is the gold standard for how to build a championship team -- especially without an obvious Top-5 player -- it should be the Knicks. And yet the lessons that can be learned from the reigning champs are being ignored by Mr. LeBron Raymone James Sr., and it will cost him the title he so obviously craves.

The 76ers are loaded with talent

The 76ers team that LeBron is joining is absolutely packed to the brim with talent. Their starting lineup has more star power than anyone else in the league, without a doubt.

Tyrese Maxey just made All-NBA this last season, as did Jaylen Brown, who has a Finals MVP to his name. Joel Embiid has an MVP trophy sitting in his trophy case. LeBron, of course, has made 21 All-NBA teams, won four MVPs and has four Finals MVP awards as well.

From a talent standpoint, James chose the richest collection to join up with. The problem is that these "super teams" rarely work out, and for the simple reason that to win a championship you need something more than pure talent: you need fit.

The Knicks fit together in a way the 76ers don't

The Knicks built a championship team by taking one high-usage offensive player in Jalen Brunson and one medium-high-usage play in Karl Anthony-Towns, and surrounding them with three players who excel at all of the little things: defense, shooting, cutting, rebounding.

For all that Brunson was absolutely the best player on the Knicks last season, each and every one of their starters bought into their role and elevated the team. If they have Julius Randle instead of OG Anunoby they don't win, period. RJ Barrett instead of Mikal Bridges? It doesn't work.

The 76ers have built a team of players who want the ball in their hands. Jaylen Brown had the second-highest usage in the league last season. Tyrese Maxey was 15th, and LeBron was 24th. If Joel Embiid had played enough games to qualify for the leaderboard, he would rank 4th.

Sam Quinn of CBS Sports put it this way:

The strength of Tyrese Maxey is his ability to maintain a high usage without turnovers, similar to Jalen Brunson. That strength is less valuable if he never has the ball because Jaylen Brown is flexing in an isolation, or Joel Embiid is working the triple threat at the elbow. LeBron's strength is not as a corner shooter. And is VJ Edgecombe ever going to touch the basketball?

The 76ers or LeBron, or both, seem blind to the fact that your team has to fit goether to win a championship. Each player has a role to fill. The number of guys who get to handle and dribble and make plays and even shoot are limited.

The Knicks learned that lesson. They taught the masterclass on that lesson during their championship run. The 76ers appear to need to go back to school.

They have built a team of on-ball offensive stars. And it's going to doom them from winning the title before they ever play a single minute.

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