INDIANAPOLIS — Playing with Joel Embiid and Paul George puts things into perspective for the 76ers.
They realize that everything doesn’t have to come together at once, especially with eight new players on the roster.
“We have a lot of work together, figuring out who we are and all that stuff,” coach Nick Nurse said. “I know everyone wants to win yesterday, right? But you have to understand that it’s not that easy.
“I have to learn them and they have to learn me. We have to find out who works well together. There’s still a lot going on even besides the Joel and Paul stuff.
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Embiid and George will miss their third game to start the season when the Sixers (0-2) face the Indiana Pacers on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Embiid is absent due to a left knee injury, while George suffers from a bone bruise in his left knee. The two perennial All-Stars have accompanied the Sixers on the road. The team says they are continuing to progress with return-to-play practices, but have not participated in five-on-five scrimmages. The Sixers want them to do that before they’re allowed to play.
As a result, Nurse had to tone down his excitement and eagerness to see what the Sixers look like when the big three of Embiid, George and Tyrese Maxey play.
“You get enough experience during the few years you don’t have men,” the nurse said. “I always try to have my first response be to be really excited about the other guys. Let’s see if we can grow them, and maybe they can help us when they kind of get back together.”
“So I do a lot of that now.”
The Celtics are the model team
Nurse has been at the forefront of tactical innovation throughout his coaching career. He was asked what he thought the next tactical or stylistic evolution of the game would be, and Nurse mentioned the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics.
“Obviously they’re on pace, 16-3 in the playoffs,” Nurse said. “They put a team in there [with a starting lineup] From 6-5 and up. And everybody, just spreads the floor and gives it to the guy who can play one-on-one, who can go and score a goal. And if you bring someone in, they’re going to fire someone, maybe a high, high, high percentage three-point shooter.
“They’re all two-man players, too. It’s kind of positionless even though there’s a little bit of variance in the heights of some of these guys. But it’s positionless.”
The Celtics starting lineup consists of All-Stars Jaylen Brown (6-foot-6), Jayson Tatum (6-8), Al Horford (6-9), Jrue Holiday (6-4), and Derrick White (6-9). 5). Injured standout Kristaps Porzingis (7-3) usually starts at center in Horford’s place.
“If you’re not going to be able to match the three balls they make by making enough of your own, the scoreboard will start moving quickly in the wrong direction,” Nurse said. “So I think [we’re] Trying to figure out how to get that type of player or create that type of player or figure out some kind of strategy to keep them from taking less than 60 threes in a game.
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The Celtics (3-0) lead the NBA with 154 three-pointers attempted. They also lead the league in made 3-pointers made (68) and three-point percentage (.442).
Brief house
The Sixers will return to the Wells Fargo Center this week, where they will play just two games over the next seven days. They will entertain the Detroit Pistons, featuring former Sixers Tobias Harris and Paul Reed, on Wednesday night and the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
