The 76ers have the most formidable starting five in the NBA, but the thing with this group is that more often than not, it is not a complete bunch. As a result, Philadelphia has had to shift their opening lineup almost on a nightly basis. While that is not a full-on issue at this point in the season, that reality makes it much more difficult for Nick Nurse and the coaching staff to build an identity for the squad, especially when it comes to offense.
Building a dependable identity on the offensive end is crucial for the 76ers, especially since their scoring attack badly needs more structure. Right now, they have been winning games on the strength of their defense and incredible ability to close out games, but being consistent requires actual reps on the part of their highly vaunted starting lineup.
The 76ers could have a growing problem that worsens every week
The 76ers' usual starting five composed of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid, has played together in three of their five games as of writing. That is quite a respectable ratio, but between the injury management of their older stars and the recurring injuries to their younger commodities, it is almost a guarantee that this group will not be as complete as frequently as the team would like.
Philadelphia is better equipped this season to absorb an absence of one or even two of their starters, given their impressive depth, at least on paper. However, if it comes to a point where that happens too often, the team might have a more difficult time building good habits with regard to their main group.
Nurse is no stranger to adapting on the fly, but implementing his offensive and defensive schemes will be tough if the parts are constantly moving. In addition, his rotations can get funky while being short. After all, the champion head coach is notorious for favoring his regulars no matter the case instead of digging deep into his bench.
Luckily for the 76ers, they still have a ton of time to figure things out. It will not always be perfect, but this group has the talent and the experience to acclimate as the team needs them to be. What is important is for this team to be consistently good at doing both the small and big things no matter who is on the floor, although clearly, it will be in the interest of the team for that not to be a recurring episode.
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