Nick Nurse will have to make this crystal-clear adjustment for the 76ers

With the Philadelphia 76ers missing two All-Stars in Joel Embiid and Paul George due to injury, head coach Nick Nurse has needed to become even more creative in crafting lineups and getting the most of what he has on deck. Over the first three games, he has already made a lot of changes to the rotation.

While we cannot imbue to him the tag of genius for making changes out of sheer necessity, the 2019 NBA champion has been more than enough holding down the fort from the sidelines. The 76ers are trotting out rather ragtag combinations for reasons beyond their control, but for the most part, the team has been very competitive despite a very tough slate so far.

Having said that, Nurse will have to get a bit out of character with his lineup decisions eventually.

The 76ers need Nick Nurse to get a bit out of character when their two All-Stars return

Embiid and George’s eventual return would prompt Nurse to tone out the starting unit, even if that means dropping out an early standout from the opening group in the form of Kelly Oubre Jr.

Oubre has taken advantage of the bigger opportunity to hoist shots up without those two, and while his efficiency can be better, he’s undoubtedly been the team’s second fiddle for the meantime. However, his play style necessitates that the 76ers continue giving him an ample platform to play his domineering game on the scoring end.

Nurse’s lineup philosophy is to start his five best players all at once, but Oubre has to be relocated to the bench when Embiid and George make their comeback. That way, the 76ers will continue to have a primary scoring option even when they go to al-bench lineups.

In his place, Nurse could continue with his new set-up with Caleb Martin now opening games. He provides more balance for the starting unit next to the team’s three All-Stars thanks to him not really needing the ball on offense to make an impact, unlike Oubre who is a true and blue scorer.

The Philadelphia 76ers will have to adjust yet again to accommodate the re-entry of their two other stars, but to smoothen what could be rough edges to begin with, Nick Nurse has to lay the grounwork to put them in the best position to succeed, even if that means veering away from his usual M.O.