How much will Nick Nurse lean on Sixers’ older players in 2024-25? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The 2024-25 Sixers will begin training camp on Oct. 1 in the Bahamas.
As that date approaches, we’ll dive into several significant topics for the team in Nick Nurse’s second season as head coach.
We’ve looked so far at what the Sixers will be able to depend on this season and whether the team has done enough to address its defensive rebounding problem.
Next up: How much will Nurse lean on his older players?
Nurse has shown over the years that he’s happy to go to his guys.
During Nurse’s time as Raptors head coach, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam became regulars on the NBA’s minutes per game leaderboard. Tyrese Maxey averaged 37.5 minutes last regular season on his way to a Most Player Improved award. When he’s on the fence about rotation decisions, Nurse has often turned to one of his most trusted players or kept his stars on the floor for extended, important stints.
Back in the 2019-20 season, Kyle Lowry ranked fourth in the NBA with 36.2 minutes per game. Though Nurse still adores the six-time All-Star guard, that number will obviously be far lower in the 2024-25 season. He’s cognizant of what it will take to get the Sixers’ veterans through the season healthy.
“I think that’s certainly got to be part of the plan. … Lowry, (Eric) Gordon … it’ll take some managing of those guys as they get older,” Nurse said on July 23. “Most of that comes in what you’re doing day to day — training camp, practices, travel.
“Medical and front office and everybody will come together closely. … I think everybody’s probably on that same page. I think we want to get to the playoffs with managing health.”
With De’Anthony Melton rarely available because of a back injury, Nurse started Lowry last year and played him 29.2 minutes per game in the postseason. The Sixers signed a versatile, starting-caliber forward this summer in Caleb Martin and picked up two very experienced guards in Gordon and Reggie Jackson. They drafted combo guard Jared McCain, too. Regardless of the 38-year-old Lowry’s level of play, the Sixers shouldn’t need as much from him.
Nurse still may have some nights when he’s drawn to major Lowry minutes. And he understands Lowry doesn’t shift out of park as easily these days.
“It’s not the greatest with him to let him sit for a long time and then bring him back like that,” Nurse said following a March 10 win over the Knicks in which Lowry returned in the fourth quarter and sunk a timely three-pointer. “He kind of revs his engine really hard and then when he shuts it down, it’s hard to get it back up.”
Along with Jackson (34 years old) and Gordon (35), Paul George is the other Sixer in his mid-30s.
Last season was the 34-year-old George’s healthiest since 2018-19 — no long-term injuries, 74 games played, available through the playoffs. He’s well aware that health is paramount for both stars like himself and Joel Embiid and relatively “old” guys like Lowry.
Asked at his introductory press conference about keys to the Sixers going beyond Round 2 of the playoffs, George started simply.
“I think for us, it’s just finishing healthy,” he said.