Following a blockbuster offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers know they are in a much better place heading into the 2026-2027 NBA season after getting swept in the second round of the playoffs last year.
But paper champions mean nothing in the NBA. The outspoken NBA veteran Montrezl Harrell was recently asked about his former team and he dropped a realistic take on the situation. While Harrell didn't specifically drop Nick Nurse's name, his opinion on the new-look Sixers indirectly places pressure on the head coach.
What it all comes down to
"That starting five is a hell of a starting five, but you have to mix and match that starting lineup with the bench. People have to accept their roles off the bench," Harrell told Brandon Robinson.
Being a former Sixth Man of the Year, Harrell has been quite vocal about being a player who not only accepted his role off the bench, but totally embraced it. There shouldn't be any questions from the reserves about who is going to start in Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe are three returning starters, while LeBron James and Jaylen Brown are recent All-Stars who certainly won't be asked to land in a reserve role. Once the bench roles are established, the success will come from mixing and matching players within the rotation.
"That starting five is strong, but the bench is still going to need guidance from one or two of those guys from the starting unit to hold down a lead or keep things cohesive," he explained. "It comes down to rotation management."
Pressure's on for Nick Nurse
The Sixers did right by Nurse by allowing him to come back for another season as they made some notable changes to the roster, but most assume that the head coach's leash is short in Philadelphia. That championship window is tight, and the Sixers have little time to master everything from chemistry to the rotation.
Of course, the seasoned veterans like LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey will get some sort of say about the flow of the game, but ultimately, Nurse makes the final call on rotations. If that's what the Sixers have to master in order to accomplish their goal, then Nurse carries a lot of pressure heading into the new year.
The good news is that Nurse is one of a few active head coaches with a title win on his resume. We're a long way from the Toronto Raptors' 2019 championship win, but it can't be discounted. The head coach has figured it out before. The Sixers have to hope he can figure it out again.
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