It's almost go time for the Philadelphia 76ers. With just one preseason game left on the schedule, you can consider Friday's action against the Boston Celtics a dress rehearsal for the starting five, of course, barring any setbacks from key guys.
On Thursday, the Sixers held another practice session on the eve of their second and final meeting with the Boston Celtics this preseason. When the two teams met last week, the Sixers rolled out just two starters for the matchup. They chose to keep Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, and LeBron James out after the entire starting five debuted against the Brooklyn Nets.
Meanwhile, Joe Mazzulla's Celtics kept the core group in for quite some time. As a result, the Celtics destroyed the Sixers with a 144-106 win. The 76ers certainly don't have revenge on their mind. It's preseason, after all, but Friday could be the most realistic version of the 76ers we see before the regular season officially begins next week.
Nick Nurse reveals the plan
The head coach didn't drop specific names, but was asked about the starters. The team hasn't hidden the fact that the group consists of LeBron, Maxey, Brown, Edgecombe, and Embiid.
Nurse stated that the plan is to get the "majority" of the starters playing into the second half. While they are unlikely to see their minutes stretch into the fourth quarter, Nurse wants to simulate a situation where players play a full half, get a small break, and then pick it back up to get off to a strong start for the second half.
What's the priority?
Obviously, making it out of Friday's game is the primary goal. The 76ers have a long season ahead. Joel Embiid's injury history is consistently on the minds of the organization. Although LeBron James has been blessed with great health throughout his career, he will probably be managed a little more this season, as he has been dealing with some minor setbacks dating back to last preseason.
As long as everybody remains healthy, the Sixers just have to continue working on finding a rhythm with this new-look, star-studded group. In Brooklyn, the starting five had its ups and downs. As expected, there was some rust, and the fit looked clunky at times. After all, it was their first time playing together in a game setting.
But there were certainly moments that reminded the league how dominant the 76ers could turn out to be this season. The Celtics already proved last week that just because it's preseason, they aren't going to take it easy. Friday's game should be a real test.
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