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Boston: The position, more than anything else, calls for a coach who is unaffected by outside influences. It takes a winning coach who has experience managing rosters full of players who are thought to be too old, insufficient, or potential time bombs in the locker room.
Naturally, the 76ers are lucky to have Nick Nurse in charge of the team while the James Harden scandal looms large over the franchise. What could have been a taxing preseason has become less stressful with the presence of the 56-year-old coach.
Tobias Harris remarked of his new head coach, “That’s kind of like his personality.” “Basically, he’s all about controlling what you can control. And he conveys that message to us each and every day that we are here.
» READ MORE: Sixers’ preseason opener against the Celtics will be missed by James Harden, Joel Embiid, and others
He wants the Sixers to realize their potential and how well they can work together as a team.
Indeed, Harris remarked, “He’s kind of like an in-the-moment person.” “That’s really appreciated here by everyone.”
However, the public believes that the Sixers are now further behind the Bucks and the Celtics, whom they will face on Sunday in their preseason opener, in the race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
The match
Harden missed Sunday’s 114-106 loss at TD Garden along with Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton, and Furkan Kormaz (leg strain). Tyrese Maxey, Harris, Patrick Beverley, Paul Reed, and P.J. Tucker were the starting five.
Pregame photo of #Sixers coach Nick Nurse: pic.twitter.com/TVJWMmCICB
— @PompeyOnSixers’ Keith Pompey, October 8, 2023
Maxey demonstrated why opposing teams anticipate him to be a liability.
With 24 points, the Sixers guard was virtually unstoppable. 19 points were scored on 7 of 11 shots in the first half.
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Jaden Springer, a reserve guard, offered strong defense and vitality. After entering the game in the second quarter, he finished with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. In the second half, the third-year player took Tucker’s place in the starting lineup.
During the third quarter, Springer had a strong 1-minute, 7-second burst. At 6:08, he made a strong two-handed dunk. After 46 seconds, he stopped All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum from slamming a dunk. And then, with 4:59 remaining in the quarter, he forced his way to a layup while drawing a foul.
READ MORE: In order for the Sixers to stay competitive with the Bucks and Celtics, Joel Embiid needs to improve. Is he aware of that?
With 26 points, Payton Pritchard led the Celtics. He also agreed to a four-year, $30 million extension on Sunday. Six three-pointers were made by the backup guard.
The mission of the nurse
The Sixers are thought to be lower in the hierarchy than the Bucks and Celtics.
That’s because on September 27, the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard, a future Hall of Famer from the Trail Blazers. Nurse, the most sought-after coaching candidate in the off-season, withdrew his name from consideration to be the team’s head coach, and this is the same Milwaukee squad.
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Then, in a trade with the Blazers on October 1, the Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday, a two-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive selection. The most noteworthy offseason incident involving the Sixers was when Harden referred to Daryl Morey, president of basketball operations, as “a liar.”
The Sixers’ two most noteworthy offseason acquisitions were Kelly Oubre Jr.’s $2.8 million, one-year minimum contract and matching the Utah Jazz’s three-year, $23.5 million offer to restricted free agent Reed.
Just Embiid, Tucker, Springer, Reed, and Filip Petrušev have NBA contracts that extend past this season among the Sixers players. In the meantime, a core group of players on par with the All-Stars is anticipated to be committed to the Bucks and Celtics for the upcoming seasons. Additionally, they are spared the uncertainty that accompanies Harden’s desire to leave the team.
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“I believe that being here in Philadelphia is for me,” the nurse remarked. “I’m overjoyed to be here. I’m having fun with the squad and the city.
The coach reported that the Sixers had a fantastic training camp week at Colorado State University and that Saturday’s practice at Emerson College in Beantown was extremely intense.
“I have a job to do, and sometimes there are obstacles in the way of that job,” he remarked. “You do realize that many professional sports teams struggle with it? You get compensated for completing certain tasks. That is our goal right now.
On September 15, at a back-to-school event held at Rhodes Elementary School in Philadelphia, Sixers coach Nick Nurse gives Franklin the Dog a hug.
On September 15, at a back-to-school event held at Rhodes Elementary School in Philadelphia, Sixers coach Nick Nurse gives Franklin the Dog a hug.
However, it begs the question of whether Nurse understood exactly what he was getting into. Despite interviewing and being the front-runner for the same position with the Bucks and Suns, he decided to join the Sixers. Bradley Beal will join Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in the Phoenix lineup, and the team is anticipated to challenge for the Western Conference championship.
However, when Nurse accepted the position, he was aware that the Sixers’ current predicament might come to an end.
The nurse stated, “I believe that we were aware of that during the interview process and that James was a free agent at all times.” “They asked me, ‘What is your opinion about his presence or absence?'” He could have, of course, declined his offer and gone elsewhere. That could have happened.
However, as you are aware, my role involves collaborating with the front office. I think those guys are real. They have a history of assembling strong teams and bringing in players; my responsibility is to guide the players who are already there. And I will act in that manner.
The Sixers have a coach in Nurse who exudes charisma and isn’t afraid to take risks. As a head coach, he is also known for his unconventional thinking. These qualities have contributed to his success as a coach and made him stand out.
» READ MORE: “How bad do y’all want it?” asks Coach Prime of the Sixers.
In his first season as an NBA head coach, he guided the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship and made three postseason trips. The 2020 NBA Coach of the Year was Nurse. Before joining the NBA coaching staff, he also won two titles in the NBA Development League and two in the British Basketball League.
And he may be the best person to handle the Sixers’ current predicament because of his experiences abroad and in the D League.
“It was basketball, but I always say my training has been in some weird places,” Nurse remarked. While traveling to the game in England, the bus breaks down on you. How do you intend to proceed? You must, therefore, figure out a means to get there and, once the ball is up, formulate a strategy and engage in competition.
That is a general overview of many possible outcomes. Furthermore, you still need to compete. Man, you still need to go out there and perform your duties.
