Nick Nurse's latest tweak - inserting Quentin Grimes into the starting five in the second half of games - yielded disastrous results for the Sixers, who ultimately fell short against the Raptors. The experiment, which had worked twice before, backfired spectacularly on Wednesday night as Philadelphia struggled to score and committed turnovers at an alarming rate.
For 11 consecutive games, the Sixers have been plagued by third-quarter struggles, with Nurse attributing the issue to the team's numerous moving parts. In a bid to address this problem, Nurse has tried various adjustments, including starting different units in each half of the game. However, his latest tactic - inserting Grimes and Trendon Watford into the starting five in the second half - proved ineffective.
Grimes, who was previously coming off the bench, was given starter minutes and started the second half alongside Watford. While Nurse acknowledged that this arrangement makes it easier to utilize Grimes' scoring prowess, the plan ultimately fell apart as the Sixers struggled to score and commit turnovers at an alarming rate.
The Raptors' swarming defense, which features long athletes like Scottie Barnes, played a significant role in stifling the Sixers' offense. However, it was clear that the team's poor offensive cohesion - particularly when Tyrese Maxey was on the floor - was the main culprit behind their struggles.
Nurse's willingness to experiment with different lineups and tactics has been admirable, but his latest attempt ultimately failed to pay off. As the Sixers head into their next game against a Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks team, it remains to be seen whether Nurse will stick to his original plan of inserting Grimes into the starting five in the second half.
In the meantime, players like Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow will need to continue to step up their efforts as backup center duties behind Andre Drummond. With Walker and Barlow being the only two-way players available for the game, they will be tasked with holding down the fort while Embiid and Adem Bona are sidelined.
Despite the setbacks, there were some encouraging signs from certain players, including Jared McCain, who finally found his rhythm in the first half before struggling in the final minutes. With a young core of players looking to grow and improve, the Sixers will need to regroup and refocus for their next challenge against the Bucks.
For 11 consecutive games, the Sixers have been plagued by third-quarter struggles, with Nurse attributing the issue to the team's numerous moving parts. In a bid to address this problem, Nurse has tried various adjustments, including starting different units in each half of the game. However, his latest tactic - inserting Grimes and Trendon Watford into the starting five in the second half - proved ineffective.
Grimes, who was previously coming off the bench, was given starter minutes and started the second half alongside Watford. While Nurse acknowledged that this arrangement makes it easier to utilize Grimes' scoring prowess, the plan ultimately fell apart as the Sixers struggled to score and commit turnovers at an alarming rate.
The Raptors' swarming defense, which features long athletes like Scottie Barnes, played a significant role in stifling the Sixers' offense. However, it was clear that the team's poor offensive cohesion - particularly when Tyrese Maxey was on the floor - was the main culprit behind their struggles.
Nurse's willingness to experiment with different lineups and tactics has been admirable, but his latest attempt ultimately failed to pay off. As the Sixers head into their next game against a Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks team, it remains to be seen whether Nurse will stick to his original plan of inserting Grimes into the starting five in the second half.
In the meantime, players like Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow will need to continue to step up their efforts as backup center duties behind Andre Drummond. With Walker and Barlow being the only two-way players available for the game, they will be tasked with holding down the fort while Embiid and Adem Bona are sidelined.
Despite the setbacks, there were some encouraging signs from certain players, including Jared McCain, who finally found his rhythm in the first half before struggling in the final minutes. With a young core of players looking to grow and improve, the Sixers will need to regroup and refocus for their next challenge against the Bucks.