When the Philadelphia 76ers fully invested in their guard depth this summer, many expected them to run three-guard lineups this season. With Quentin Grimes back in the fold, that possibility is nearing reality.
Nick Nurse revealed that starting three guards is “certainly on the table,” after the 76ers’ practice on Wednesday, Paul Hudrick of Liberty Ballers reported. Philadelphia will have an opportunity to experiment with Grimes, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe against the Orlando Magic on October 10th at 7 p.m. EST.
Why Philadelphia should do this
Fans spent the offseason debating about which of the 76ers’ talented guards should start alongside Maxey. However, in the process, some ended up misunderstanding the reason why Philadelphia made such a commitment to its back-court.
Playing multiple guards gives the 76ers more versatility on both ends of the floor. Philadelphia’s smaller stature would allow it to switch more freely and force turnovers, both of which have been staples of Nurse’s defense in years past.
However, this unorthodox lineup boosts the 76ers’ offense above all. Whether Philadelphia starts Grimes, Edgecombe, or Jared McCain when he recovers from his torn UCL, it will have adequate floor-spacing throughout the half-court.
Philadelphia shot 8.6% from beyond the arc against the New York Knicks on Thursday, then improved to 36.4% in its rematch on Saturday. While preseason numbers will be useless data come opening night, those two outings showcased the 76ers’ spacing issues.
Although Kelly Oubre Jr, who has been starting at the three, contributed in other ways, the Knicks ignored him to swarm the paint because of his spotty shooting. At power forward, Trendon Watford and Dominick Barlow are also questionable shooters as they both shot less than 35% from three-point range in their respective careers.
By playing multi-guard rotations, Philadelphia will give itself ball-handling variety and adequate floor-spacing around its nucleus of Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George.
Possible drawbacks
Edgecombe displayed glimpses of two-way brilliance in Philadelphia's first two preseason games. However, he was unable to notch more than one three-pointer in those contests. The Knicks paid him the same respect, or lack thereof as they did Oubre and Barlow. Nevertheless, the third overall pick can make up for it with his athleticism and defensive playmaking.
Still, the 76ers rolling out a three-guard lineup could exploit one of their biggest weaknesses – rebounding. New York out-rebounded Philadelphia in both games.
The 76ers’ lack of front-court size was already a roster blemish, so those issues could be further amplified if they went small. After all, this is a team who placed amongst the bottom 10 teams in the NBA in rebounds per game since the 2021-22 season.
Regardless, the benefits outweigh the risks. Philadelphia aimed to become more of a modern team with its youth and lineup versatility and experimenting on this magnitude is a step in the right direction.