How a lot will Nick Nurse lean on Sixers' older gamers in 2024-25?

How much will Nick Nurse lean on Sixers’ older players in 2024-25? initially appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The 2024-25 Sixers will start coaching camp on Oct. 1 in the Bahamas.

As that date approaches, we’ll dive into a number of important subjects for the workforce in Nick Nurse’s second season as head coach.

We’ve seemed to this point at what the Sixers will be able to depend on this season and whether or not the workforce has done enough to address its defensive rebounding problem.

Subsequent up: How a lot will Nurse lean on his older gamers?

Nurse has proven through the years that he’s completely satisfied to go to his guys.

Throughout Nurse’s time as Raptors head coach, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam grew to become regulars on the NBA’s minutes per sport leaderboard. Tyrese Maxey averaged 37.5 minutes final common season on his option to a Most Player Improved award. When he’s on the fence about rotation choices, Nurse has usually turned to one in every of his most trusted gamers or saved his stars on the ground for prolonged, essential stints.

Back in the 2019-20 season, Kyle Lowry ranked fourth within the NBA with 36.2 minutes per sport. Although Nurse nonetheless adores the six-time All-Star guard, that quantity will clearly be far decrease within the 2024-25 season. He’s cognizant of what it should take to get the Sixers’ veterans by way of the season wholesome.

“I feel that’s definitely bought to be a part of the plan. … Lowry, (Eric) Gordon … it’ll take some managing of these guys as they become older,” Nurse mentioned on July 23. “Most of that is available in what you’re doing everyday — coaching camp, practices, journey.

“Medical and entrance workplace and all people will come collectively carefully. … I feel all people’s in all probability on that very same web page. I feel we need to get to the playoffs with managing well being.”

With De’Anthony Melton hardly ever accessible due to a again damage, Nurse began Lowry final yr and performed him 29.2 minutes per sport within the postseason. The Sixers signed a flexible, starting-caliber ahead this summer time in Caleb Martin and picked up two very skilled guards in Gordon and Reggie Jackson. They drafted combo guard Jared McCain, too. Whatever the 38-year-old Lowry’s stage of play, the Sixers shouldn’t want as a lot from him.

Nurse nonetheless could have some nights when he’s drawn to main Lowry minutes. And he understands Lowry doesn’t shift out of park as simply as of late.

“It’s not the best with him to let him sit for a very long time after which convey him again like that,” Nurse mentioned following a March 10 win over the Knicks through which Lowry returned within the fourth quarter and sunk a well timed three-pointer. “He type of revs his engine actually onerous after which when he shuts it down, it’s onerous to get it again up.”

Together with Jackson (34 years previous) and Gordon (35), Paul George is the opposite Sixer in his mid-30s.

Final season was the 34-year-old George’s healthiest since 2018-19 — no long-term accidents, 74 video games performed, accessible by way of the playoffs. He’s effectively conscious that well being is paramount for each stars like himself and Joel Embiid and comparatively “previous” guys like Lowry.

Requested at his introductory press conference about keys to the Sixers going past Spherical 2 of the playoffs, George began merely.

“I feel for us, it’s simply ending wholesome,” he mentioned.