The Philadelphia 76ers are still in the middle of testing the waters when it comes to lineups and rotations, which is exactly what the preseason is for. Nick Nurse and his staff are still on the lookout for the many possibilities they can unlock with the current roster, and while it is not perfect, it is certainly better than the kind of deck they had last season.
True enough, it seems like the veteran tactician is currently on one of his mad-scientist streaks. First, there was him trying to convert a young big man into a wing defender, and now, it appears that he is leaning into opening games with three-guard lineups right from the get go.
Backcourt is indeed one of the team’s few strengths, and the 76ers would be wise to bank on that edge to carry them as a whole. That is why it has gotten more likely that the team will kick the season off opening contests with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe being joined by another guard, likely Quentin Grimes, in the starting unit.
That move will make the 76ers even more dynamic and less predictable on offense since all those three can bring the ball up and create their own shots. However, what is then left with the bench? With Jared McCain currently out, that could force the coaching staff to settle with some not-so-appealable options.
Brilliant 76ers three-guard lineup plan has a big catch
Staggering minutes between those three is, of course, within the realm of possibility. However, that still does not make it viable to just play those players to fill up the available guard minutes. It is simply not possible.
With McCain out, that leaves, well, Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon. Both of those sage veterans have very little that they can bring to the table at this point in their careers, although Nurse may need to give them minutes purely out of necessity.
Given that mini predicament, the 76ers probably need to reconsider pushing through with their plan, at least until Jared McCain regains his playing capacity. Spreading the wealth minutes-wise in the backcourt has become more difficult in the meantime, and the team cannot afford to give minutes to players who should not even be on the roster anymore, if we are being brutally honest.
Nick Nurse is smart and he will definitely figure this one out, but if the team needs to cut corners to strike a much better balance, that should be the way to go, especially since the attendant price to pay is that grim.
Unless they sign someone more equipped than those two, right?