Nick Nurse Praises An Overlooked Skill of Joel Embiid
Nick Nurse joined The John Kincade Show to talk about a strong start for the Philadelphia 76ers and the opportunity to coach Joel Embiid. He discussed his approach to load management, the Sixers bench rotation, and adjusting to life in Philadelphia. His most effusive praise came when he talked about his superstar center.
Nick Nurse on Joel Embiid
The first-year Sixers head coach talked about the transition to a new team after spending 10 seasons on the Toronto Raptors staff. It’s no surprise he focused on Embiid, one of the most gifted players in the NBA. It wasn’t the offensive game that sparked the biggest reaction, however.
“I think the biggest difference for me is just Joel and how to use him defensively… When he is amped up on defense, there’s not many people better. He can cover out on the floor. He’s starting to come and erase a lot of mistakes late, which is what I kind of envision, that he should be a shot-blocking rim threat.” -Nick Nurse
Sixers fans can sometimes take the incredible raw skill of Joel Embiid for granted. A 7-foot-0 center with his wing span and athleticism seems like a given on the defensive end. Nurse pointed to the immeasurable effect of a talented shot-blocker on an opposing offense.
“When he erases one or two like that, that changes about 12 other possessions. There’s guys that start going down there saying ‘Wait a minute, I’m just going to flip it back out,’ or they go in and stop short, or they put a little bit more arc on it than they wanted to. So just learning exactly how to use him has been a lot different for me.”
Embiid ranks eighth in the NBA with 1.9 blocks per game. He finished seventh in 2022-23.
Nurse Evaluating Sixers Bench
Bob Cooney asked Nurse about the changes to the roster following the James Harden trade. New options off the bench and the addition of Nicolas Batum have shaken up the team.
The French forward has averaged 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in nine games since the trade. He has averaged 26.7 minutes and played his way into the starting lineup.
“Batum has given us incredible versatility defensively because he can cover so many positions.” -Nurse
The Sixers are lurking just below the expected preseason favorites in the Eastern Conference standings. They have a lot to determine in their quest to break through the second round of the NBA Playoffs. However, they’re in a better position than they were when Nick Nurse took over for Doc Rivers.
“We’re still tinkering with rotations, trying to figure out who ends the first, who starts the second, who ends the third, who starts the fourth, all those kinds of things that we’ve adjusted the last couple games..We’ll continue to tinker with that a bit until we think we’ve got it right.” -Nurse
Listen to the full interview with Nick Nurse on The John Kincade Show below.
Watch The John Kincade Show on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.
Meet the 2023-24 Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid
It’s no secret that the 76ers will depend on Joel Embiid. The 7-footer out of Cameroon has outdone his own career high in scoring in three consecutive seasons, and he finally earned his first NBA MVP for the 2022-23 season. The continued improvement is a testament to his ability to continue adding tools to his arsenal to find his highest potential.
However, it’s also no secret that playoff success is the real focus. Embiid hasn’t helped his team advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the fact of the matter supercedes all individual accomplishments in the minds of most 76ers fans.
Tyrese Maxey
The Sixers found the steal of the 2020 NBA Draft when they selected the guard out of Kentucky with the 21st-overall pick. Maxey has improved consistently throughout his NBA career, and he must take the next step by improving at the defensive end of the floor. He will reach stardom as a 20+ point scorer who shoots over 40% from three-point range if he can overcome the label as a defensive liability.
Tobias Harris
Harris has shown incredible ability at points during his 12-year NBA career. However, his season averages in scoring has dropped in each of his four full seasons in Philadelphia. He has room to reemerge as a bigger offensive focus in an era when excellent wing players dominate the NBA.
De’Anthony Melton
Melton didn’t get the most attention during his first season in Philadelphia in 2022-23, but he proved himself as a key part of the franchise’s future. The former second-round pick averaged double figures last season, and he’s made Daryl Morey look excellent for fleecing the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade in June 2022.
Paul Reed
An offer sheet from the Utah Jazz spelled the end for Paul Reed in Philadelphia. However, the Sixers dug deeper into the wallet to keep their young big man. Reed played an expanded role in the 2023 playoffs. His ability to play the 4 position with Joel Embiid on the floor will go a long way to determine the amount of playing time he’ll get under Nick Nurse.
Mo Bamba
Bamba played 275 games for the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers in five NBA seasons before signing with 76ers in July. He attended Westtown School in West Chester before going to the University of Texas to play college ball. The Magic drafted him with the sixth-overall pick in 2018.
Patrick Beverly
The Sixers are looking for Patrick Beverly as the veteran guard off the bench who adds experience and intangible value. The 35-year-old has earned three selections to the NBA All-Defensive Team. He’s played key minutes in 65 playoff games with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers.
Kelly Oubre Jr.
The Sixers signed Kelly Oubre Jr. to a one-year deal this offseason. The 6-foot-7 wing took hold of an opportunity for more offensive focus on a struggling Charlotte Hornets team in 2022-23 when he averaged a career-high 20.3 points. He has averaged in double figures in six consecutive seasons, but he is best fitted for a bench role on a contending team.
Jaden Springer
The Sixers drafted Springer with the 28th-overall pick in 2021. He’s played 18 NBA games in his first two seasons, and he hasn’t yet become a contributor in key minutes. The 6-foot-4 guard will scratch and claw to earn his minutes. The fluid situation with James Harden could leave things up for grabs in the backcourt.
Furkan Korkmaz
While fans and media have called to replace Korkmaz seemingly every season in recent memory, the Turkish shooting guard is entering his seventh season in Philadelphia. His scoring average has decreased in four consecutive seasons, and he might not have a long leash with a spot on the bench at age 26 if he doesn’t work into a role as a bigger contributor than he was in 2022-23.
Danuel House Jr.
The Sixers dished out $8.4 million on a two-year contract for House entering the 2022-23 season as part of a roster overhaul that included a heavy focus on players with experience under Daryl Morey with the Houston Rockets. He played a minimal role by the time the playoffs came around, but he ended up providing a little bit of a spark off the bench in the second round against the Boston Celtics. Nurse will see what the 30-year-old journeyman has left in the tank.
Robert Covington
He became a polarizing microcosm of The Process during his first stint in Philadelphia from 2014-18. The 32-year-old has grown into an experienced NBA journeyman who’s spent time with five different NBA teams. He earned NBA All-Defensive Team honors for the 2017-18 season.
KJ Martin
The 22-year-old KJ Martin averaged 12.7 points for the Houston Rockets in 2022-23. He is the only player the Sixers acquired in the James Harden trade who might have a legitimate long-term upside. Nick Nurse will determine the rotation as the team develops an identity with a lot of question marks about their future.
Nicolas Batum
Batum hasn’t averaged in double figures since the 2017-18 season with the Charlotte Hornets. The 6-foot-8 guard will have to carve out a role for a team that acquired him more for his expiring contract than his skill set on the floor. He has more than enough NBA experience to find a way to do that.
Marcus Morris Sr.
Daryl Morey acquired Philadelphia native Marcus Morris Sr. days after the season opener. The James Harden deal wasn’t about improving the Sixers in the short term, however. His value in the trade had to do with an annual salary of over $17 million coming off the books after the 2023-24 season.
Azuolas Tubelis
The Sixers loaded up on big men with no expectation for Montrezl Harrell to contribute in 2023-24. Tubelis spent three years as a major contributor at Arizona. He’s another young big man from overseas looking to make a name for himself at the NBA level.
Javonte Smart
Smart is playing on a two-way contract. He will almost certainly have to manage more bus trips down to Wilmington and earn his way into Nick Nurse’s rotation. The LSU graduate played short stints with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat before the Sixers signed him.
Terquavion Smith
Rookie guard Terquavion Smith played two years at NC State. The Sixers signed him on a two-year contract on July 1. His 165-pound frame isn’t ideal for the NBA, but he averaged 17.9 points for a team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season.
