Uncertain position battle could determine 76ers' success

The Philadelphia 76ers have constructed a core that should contend during the 2024-25 season. Head coach Nick Nurse is a former NBA champion, Joel Embiid is an MVP and two-time scoring champion, Paul George is a surefire Hall of Famer, and Tyrese Maxey is a superstar on the rise.

For as promising as that quartet of contributors is, the 76ers may ultimately have their fate decided by a position that's as deep as it is uncertain.

Philadelphia has been active this offseason, complementing the addition of Paul George with several key acquisitions in the backcourt. It signed veteran point guard Reggie Jackson for depth behind Maxey, and brought in two new shooting guards alongside him.

After selecting former Duke Blue Devils star Jared McCain at No. 16 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, the 76ers signed veteran Eric Gordon for additional depth at the 2-spot.

Throw in the presence of Kelly Oubre Jr., who played 21 percent of his minutes at shooting guard with the 76ers in 2023-24, and there's no shortage of depth at an essential position. Philadelphia could even roll out a lineup with Jackson or Kyle Lowry sharing the backcourt with Maxey.

Options are aplenty for Nurse as he crafts his 2024-25 rotations, but what's become abundantly clear is that the choices made at shooting guard could make or break the 76ers' season.

Depth exists, but shooting guard is a question mark for the 76ers

The selection of McCain at No. 16 overall suggests Philadelphia sees him as a key figure in their long-term plans. It's easy to see why, as the former five-star recruit earned ACC All-Rookie Team honors in 2023-24 after averaging 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.4 three-point field goals made per game on .462/.414/.885 shooting.

The hope in Philadelphia appears to be that his elite three-point shooting will translate to the NBA, and that his perhaps underrated passing will improve further over time.

Adding Gordon to the roster implies that the 76ers have accounted for the possibility that McCain will struggle as a rookie. They're not a perfect match stylistically, but there are similarities between the two that suggest Daryl Morey knows exactly what he wants out of a starting shooting guard.

Three-point shooting will be the top priority, and the 35-year-old Gordon's career 37.1 percent mark from beyond the arc is just as intriguing as McCain's collegiate success.

The wildcard in this rotation is Oubre, who's more of a small forward, but spent more than a fifth of his minutes at the 2 in 2023-24. It's likely that he'll back up George and Caleb Martin, but the 76ers could also go big with Oubre at the 2 in certain lineups.

The fact that creates confusion about what the rotation might ultimately look like, however, is that Oubre started 52 games for the 76ers last season, averaging 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest.

Oubre, a career 32.7 percent shooter from beyond the arc, doesn't seem to fit what Gordon and McCain bring to the table at the 2-spot. Yet, his history as a starter in Philadelphia, as well as his high-level production, could cause the 76ers to rethink their strategy.

If the 2024-25 season is going to end with postseason success then, Nurse will need to figure out exactly what he wants out of his starting shooting guard and build accordingly.

Indecision over the preferred style of play could be the 76ers' undoing.