The Philadelphia 76ers opened training camp on Wednesday, and the first day belonged to Nick Nurse. The head coach spent the morning running drills, watching film and trying to figure out who does what. His honesty about the process is the story.
“I got an idea as I do with every guy with what their role should be,” Nurse told reporters on Tuesday. “And even bullet points underneath, but I want to see the group for a couple weeks before I start trying to narrow that down. I want to collaborate with each player on that. We need to clearly define roles for everybody.”
That is the opposite of how most coaches operate. Most coaches arrive at camp with a plan, a playbook and a lineup. Nurse is admitting he is still sorting through it. He wants input from the players themselves. He wants to watch them play together before he commits to a scheme.
The 76ers have assembled one of the most talented rosters in the NBA. They added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James this summer, and now Nurse has to fit them into a system alongside Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and a host of role players. The coach is treating the whole operation as an experiment, and he is being open about the uncertainty.
The Opening Drill
The day started with a shooting circuit at the Penn Medicine Training Complex in Camden, New Jersey. Assistant Phil Handy worked with veteran guard Anfernee Simons on his mechanics. Handy, a legendary player development coach, paused Simons’ shooting to walk through his form.
“I just want you to go short and quick,” Handy said, using his hands and feet to demonstrate while Simons clung to every word. The shots came quickly after that, each one smoother than the last. Assistant Matt Brase looked on as Simons worked through the drill.
The point is simple. The 76ers will be playing at a fast pace, with multiple stars on the floor at once. The role players need to move without hesitation. Every second counts when Brown or James are driving and kicking.
Simons is 27 years old and has been a career role player. He will get plenty of catch-and-shoot opportunities when he plays with Maxey, Brown and James. But the faster he can react, the better. Nurse wants everyone to understand their assignment before the ball even moves.
Last Season’s Numbers
The 76ers had a rough regular season last year. They finished 26th in effective field goal percentage, 21st in true shooting, 23rd in 3-point rate and 28th in assist rate. Those numbers stung, especially for a team with this much talent.
But the team did generate shots efficiently in high-leverage situations. They were near the top of the league in possessions that directly affected game outcomes, yet ranked just outside the bottom 10 in offensive rating in those minutes. That suggests the problem was execution, not creation.
Nurse sees the solution in the additions. He believes Brown and James bring a level of processing and decision-making that the rest of the league cannot match. Their ability to read the floor and create for others is the key to the whole operation.
“I think a lot of things will help the efficiency,” Nurse said to Yahoo Sports. “I think we’ll have a little bit better pace. Passing — I think these guys are a little bit bigger and have better vision. And obviously they can score too. That helps.”
What the Offseason Added
The 76ers did not just add two All-NBA talents. They also brought in floor spacers like Simons, Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Those players give the team the release valves it needs to punish aggressive man-to-man defenses.
A whopping 35% of Joel Embiid’s shots came via self-creation, whether by post-ups or isolations. That number needs to come down. Nurse wants Embiid to rely less on post-ups and isolations and more on quicker actions that keep him moving. That should reduce the wear and tear that comes from constantly backing opposing bigs down every night.
Using Maxey in an off-ball role, maximizing his relocation and speed, will also aid in their overall progression. The 76ers need to alter their shot profiles, and Embiid is the biggest piece of that puzzle.
The Coming Days
Nurse is a championship coach with a reputation for innovation. He is not building around one star. He is building around three.
The coming days will show whether the experiment works. Nurse will watch the group for a couple weeks before he starts narrowing down the roles. That means the early games will be a work in progress.
Here is how the next few days break down:
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Shooting circuit, individual mechanics work |
| Day 2 | Group practice, initial rotations |
| Day 3 | Film review, role discussions |
| Day 4 | Full-court drills, pace testing |
| Day 5 | Final roster decisions |
The 76ers are the NBA’s most interesting team right now. The question is whether Nurse can make all the pieces fit. He is willing to admit he does not know the answer yet.
Nurse is not hiding the difficulty. He is embracing it. Most coaches arrive with a plan and playbook. Nurse is saying he is still figuring it out.
The 76ers have the talent to compete for a title. They have the coaching to get there. Whether they can execute is the question. Nurse is betting on himself to find the answers.
Source material: “76ers training camp opens with Nick Nurse ready to experiment: 'We need to clearly define roles for everybody',” Yahoo Sports.
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