There are a lot of uncertainties as there are issues with the Philadelphia 76ers as they slowly approach the upcoming season, event at this early juncture. From injuries to two of their stars, unresolved free agency situation, and gaping roster holes, this team will definitely be near impossible to predict in the looming campaign.
The 76ers will not be fixed by one, sweeping move. There are multiple areas to address with this roster, although the reality is that the front office is not really at liberty to make drastic changes to the lineup at this point in time. To make matters worse, that very fact is imputable to their own doing — a euphemism for miscalculation.
Yet with those issues in hand, Philly is still not in the clear when it comes to other pivotal areas. Take coaching for example. Last season, a lot of fans questioned the maneuverings of the coaching staff, and it would be disingenuous to just dismiss those as “fans being fans” and staying devoted to the peanut gallery.
At some point, Nick Nurse got to take some accountability. And if he doesn’t, he might find himself being on the hot seat sooner than later.
The 76ers have a Nick Nurse problem
A lot of people complained about Nurse and the coaching staff’s choices last season, especially when it comes to in-game management with respect to lineups and whatnot. He consistently gave court time to players who slowly proved they don’t deserve considerable minutes, and his penchant for aging veterans has become too vivid to ignore.
There are also instances where he and the front office were not in sync on matters of utter importance, such as allowing Joel Embiid to play. And of course, their ugly finish from last season didn’t help.
A significant chunk of the team’s concerns cannot possibly be imputed to the championship tactician, of course. The roster construction can use a lot of balancing work, for instance. But there are things that are well within his control, and if he slips up in the areas where he did last season, he could get the hammer dropped on him when he’s not expecting it.
The 76ers have ambitious goals in general, but next season will be different in that they will have a lot to prove. And frankly, the guiding hand of Nick Nurse could very well determine just how far they can go with this group, fortuitous circumstances aside.