DES MOINES, Iowa — After Paul George finished a post-practice workout on Thursday morning, he sauntered over to a folded bleacher at Grandview University, gathered some of his belongings and dried off, before making small talk with teammates and heading to the team bus.
He looked very much like a man ready to make his Philadelphia 76ers preseason debut, which should come Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. For as anxious as he is, George knows that the journey he hopes will end in a title is just beginning. The Sixers opened their preseason Monday night against the New Zealand Breakers without George and star center Joel Embiid, because why debut two of your three best players against the New Zealand Breakers? So, against an actual NBA team, the Sixers will receive an actual NBA test.
“It’s just about seeing what works and what doesn’t work,” George said. “But it’s also about conditioning in a real game, and getting up and down the floor. That’s the best thing, getting out on the floor and playing against someone else. I’m looking forward to that.”
Outside of Embiid and George, we got to see the rest of the roster at Wells Fargo Center, as they beat the, ahem, breaks, off the Breakers. And if you know Nick Nurse as a head coach, you know he believes in heavy repetition. That means the Sixers have scrimmaged plenty among themselves in training camp. It means they have gone hard in practice almost every day.
Still, there’s enough to give a first impression of what this team is and has a chance to be once the regular season starts in less than two weeks. And it’s enough to give a peek into what rotations look like, and where people fit. For instance, many thought when the Sixers signed Guerschon Yabusele that they would primarily employ him at the power forward spot. Instead, Nurse played him at center Monday night. That may not hold, but it does give a glimpse of what could be.
Here are some first thoughts on the Sixers as they head into a stretch of three preseason games in four nights, beginning with the Timberwolves.
The beauty of this is that we will know even more by the time the preseason ends. And then we will know more after the first 10 games of the regular season, and so forth. This Sixers team should consistently evolve throughout this season.
But at first glance, this is an NBA championship contender. This is a team that has the top-end talent — and the depth complementing that top-end talent — needed to contend. Health will very obviously be a factor, but evolution will as well. So, let’s dive into what we initially see from this roster, and let’s take it from there.
Jared McCain has a real chance
The rookie out of Duke has been the talk of training camp and the preseason so far. Multiple team sources indicate McCain has played extremely well in camp, especially on offense. He’s played without fear, but most importantly, with patience and aplomb. He’s a highly skilled guard who has a chance to be impactful at all three levels and can play both spots in the backcourt.
McCain’s locker is next to star guard Tyrese Maxey, and the two have already forged a good relationship. The rookie played well against the Breakers, scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 28 minutes. He knocked down four 3-pointers. He’s talented off the dribble and can also play off the ball and run around screens.
“Yeah, he can get them up,” Nurse said. “He comes off of screens hard. He’s a guy that can find himself space to get open, got a pretty decent drive game on top of it. Best thing is, I think he plays hard, he’s super engaged on both ends, but he provides a 3-point threat, quick release, all of that stuff, so it’s really important.”
Still, don’t expect McCain to be in the rotation on opening night when the Sixers face the Milwaukee Bucks. Maxey and George figure to be the starting backcourt. Veterans Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon should be the first guards off the bench. But in this collective bargaining agreement era, threading a roster between the present and future is essential, and McCain is clearly setting himself up as Maxey’s potential future running mate in the backcourt. For this season, even if McCain starts the year as Philadelphia’s fifth guard, he’s going to get his opportunities over an 82-game season.
The Sixers’ backcourt, and roster as a whole, will probably be a revolving door of veterans once the regular season starts. So, if McCain is indeed the fifth guard, he will see chances to play, even if those opportunities don’t come every night.
Sixers have depth
This feels like the first roster Daryl Morey has put together in Philly that can credibly survive a regular-season absence from Embiid. A lot of that has to do with signing George, which gives the Sixers versatility and star power on the wing they haven’t had since Jimmy Butler. A lot of it has to do with Maxey, who could ascend into superstardom. And a lot of it has to do with the Sixers having a bunch of rotation-level talent around their big three.
One of the reasons the Boston Celtics are NBA champions is how much quality depth they put around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Those two could be star-level players without having to do everything on both ends of the floor. It turned out to be a luxury nobody else had, and it led to Boston being the best team in the league.
The Sixers hope this roster can replicate that in a way. Having Reggie Jackson as a depth piece, when he was Jamal Murray’s primary backup in Denver last season, is a luxury. Having Gordon and Lowry, and all of their years of experience, come off the bench or providing spot starts is in theory a luxury.
That’s the advantage of signing George without surrendering talent. That’s the advantage of having the flexibility to bring in Caleb Martin, while still having an almost full boat of future draft picks to use going forward. Andre Drummond has taken a ton of flak throughout his career, but he’s a better backup center than Paul Reed. The depth to get through the regular season, at least on paper, is just so much better than it was a year ago.
“I’d like to think that we have a lot of depth,” Nurse said. “At least I hope so. But you never know until you get into the games and that depth gets tested. It can get challenging, because you can play nine or 10 guys at the most. But, I think you have guys that are going to get their chances as the season goes on.”
That’s where locker room management has to come in. The way it looks, you are going to have some good players who figure to be on the outside of the rotation looking in. McCain is one, but he’s a rookie. Of course he wants to play, but he’s going to wait his turn.
But the goal this season for Philadelphia is to win a championship, and that means sacrifices will have to be made. The Sixers’ locker room is largely made up of veterans who are in search of that very thing.
What do the Sixers need?
Philadelphia can use another big man. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a center. It could be another lengthy power forward. Embiid is one of the best in the business, that’s obvious. Drummond’s best skill, he will tell you, is his ability to rebound, which is critical in the playoffs. But the Sixers are looking at Martin at the 4 and in a playoff setting that could make rebounding and secondary rim protection a challenge. George could ease some anxiety, because he’s so big for a wing and typically he’s been a good defensive rebounder. But you can never have enough shooting in this era of basketball, and truthfully, you can never have enough length and athleticism.
On one hand, this team is built to try and beat the Boston Celtics, which is why you see the plethora of wing types on the roster. On the other, what if this team gets to the postseason and has to beat the Milwaukee Bucks, and Giannis Antetokounmpo? Or what if this team has to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers and Evan Mobley? Or the Orlando Magic and Paolo Banchero? Those are three teams with jumbo versatile power forward types, who also have the talent at the center spot to occupy Embiid. It’s why the Eastern Conference figures to be so interesting this season. A great matchup for one team doesn’t necessarily mean it’s great for the next.
The Sixers have three guys who should be able to match any three in the league. Embiid is still playing at an MVP level. Maxey is one of the bright young players in the league, and George is still playing at an All-Star level, even if the back end of his contract may get a little ugly. The cast around those three is a good one. And there is certainly a hunger to win big within the roster.
What does this mean in October? Nothing. The Sixers want to make this mean something in June. And that’s their challenge for this season.
(Photo of Andre Drummond and Paul George: David Dow / NBAE via Getty Images)
