How a lot will Nick Nurse lean on Sixers’ older gamers in 2024-25?
How a lot will Nick Nurse lean on Sixers’ older gamers in 2024-25? initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Philadelphia
The 2024-25 Sixers will start coaching camp on Oct. 1 within the Bahamas.
As that date approaches, we’ll dive into a number of important subjects for the staff inNick Nurse’s second season as head coach.
We’ve appeared to date atwhat the Sixers will be capable to depend upon this season and whether or not the staff has performed sufficient to deal with its defensive rebounding downside.
Subsequent up: How a lot will Nurse lean on his older gamers?
Nurse has proven through the years that he’s completely happy to go to his guys.
Throughout Nurse’s time as Raptors head coach, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam grew to become regulars on the NBA’s minutes per recreation leaderboard. Tyrese Maxey averaged 37.5 minutes final common season on his option to a Most Participant Improved award. When he’s on the fence about rotation selections, Nurse has typically turned to one among his most trusted gamers or stored his stars on the ground for prolonged, necessary stints.
Again within the 2019-20 season, Kyle Lowry ranked fourth within the NBA with 36.2 minutes per recreation. Although Nurse nonetheless adores the six-time All-Star guard, that quantity will clearly be far decrease within the 2024-25 season. He’s cognizant of what it’ll take to get the Sixers’ veterans by means of the season wholesome.
“I believe that’s definitely obtained to be a part of the plan. … Lowry, (Eric) Gordon … it’ll take some managing of these guys as they grow old,” Nurse stated on July 23. “Most of that is available in what you’re doing day after day — coaching camp, practices, journey.
“Medical and entrance workplace and all people will come collectively carefully. … I believe all people’s most likely on that very same web page. I believe we need to get to the playoffs with managing well being.”
With De’Anthony Melton hardly ever out there due to a again harm, Nurse began Lowry final 12 months and performed him 29.2 minutes per recreation within the postseason. The Sixers signed a flexible, starting-caliber ahead this summer season in Caleb Martin and picked up two very skilled guards in Gordon and Reggie Jackson. They drafted combo guard Jared McCain, too. Whatever the 38-year-old Lowry’s degree of play, the Sixers shouldn’t want as a lot from him.
Nurse nonetheless might have some nights when he’s drawn to main Lowry minutes. And he understands Lowry doesn’t shift out of park as simply nowadays.
“It’s not the best with him to let him sit for a very long time after which deliver him again like that,” Nurse stated following a March 10 win over the Knicks by which Lowry returned within the fourth quarter and sunk a well timed three-pointer. “He form of revs his engine actually onerous after which when he shuts it down, it’s onerous to get it again up.”
Together with Jackson (34 years previous) and Gordon (35), Paul George is the opposite Sixer in his mid-30s.
Final season was the 34-year-old George’s healthiest since 2018-19 — no long-term accidents, 74 video games performed, out there by means of the playoffs. He’s effectively conscious that well being is paramount for each stars like himself and Joel Embiid and comparatively “previous” guys like Lowry.
Requested at his introductory press convention about keys to the Sixers going past Spherical 2 of the playoffs, George began merely.
“I believe for us, it’s simply ending wholesome,” he stated.
