The Philadelphia 76ers are all-in for a championship run this season after a fulfilling summer in which they signed their long-awaited third star, Paul George. More importantly, they opted to balance their roster with the addition of several high-value options and brought back some crucial personnel from last season to create a solid mix of old and new talent on the team.
In any case, a couple of names do not mean anything, as Nick Nurse will have to balance the good and the bad that are contained in the current roster, with two more spots pending. For the first time in many seasons, the 76ers opted to fill the roster with three top-notch superstars that can fill the void for each other on the basketball court.
That said, Nick Nurse should evaluate the best strategy and lineups that will give the Sixers the chance to perform to their full potential. The 76ers need to balance some irregularities on the roster, considering that they are not expected to sign a game-changer at this point in the offseason. Currently, Philadelphia is looking in the market to add additional depth in the forward position.
Anyhow, the first months of the season will determine if the 76ers are in need of reinforcements in the mid-season trade market. Until then, they have to make the most of their talent and see if they can quickly create the chemistry and the environment to compete with the rest of the Eastern Conference powerhouses.
This will also be a huge test for Nick Nurse. After a strong start with the Sixers last season when he led the franchise to a top-4 seed until Joel Embiid went down with injury, Nurse will have more tools on his disposal. If Nurse could carry the team to success early in the season, then, the pressure will be reduced.
I expect Nurse to go all out from the start in an effort to figure out basic principles and allow a team with several new faces to be fully prepared in time to perform in the big stage. With that in mind, here are three intriguing 76ers lineups that we could see early in the season.
76ers could go all-in with their best players on the court
The 76ers have a great group of potential starters, headlined by Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey. The franchise signed back Kelly Oubre, who is expected to fill in at shooting guard when Paul George and Caleb Martin are on the court. Considering that Oubre was used as a tweener on the wing on several occasions last season, I expect that Nurse will certainly go with a super-flexible lineup with him as the secondary guard.
With Maxey at the point, Oubre as the shooting guard, George and Martin as the interchangeable forwards, and Joel Embiid at the center, Philadelphia will have their best players on the floor. In that case, the defensive efforts of Martin, Oubre and George will be huge for Nick Nurse's plan this season, as the team has signed a few specialists who are not the best individual defenders.
This lineup could allow the Sixers to balance their offensive and defensive efforts. With their size, athleticism, and ability to afford switching in defense, the 76ers will have the right amount of talent to be effective against any team. The downside of this lineup rests in the fact that Maxey and Embiid are sometimes exposed inside and outside, respectively.
Maxey will have to show some urgency when the opponents target him in defense inside the paint. On the other end, Embiid should do a better job of remaining closer to the perimeter players and covering their shooting and passing angles.