Philadelphia 76ers Mailbag: What's the Plan When Paul George, Jared McCain Return from Injury?
With the 76ers already boasting a strong start to their season, thanks in part to All-NBA-caliber play from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, fans are eagerly awaiting the returns of injured players Paul George and Jared McCain. But as these high-usage players begin to regain health, concerns have begun to arise about how they'll impact the team's existing fast-paced identity.
In a recent mailbag session, PhillyVoice subscribers shared their thoughts on what to expect when George and McCain return. One question stood out above all others: how will the guard rotation be affected by these two key players?
According to some experts, utilizing McCain's elite three-point marksman skills should be a top priority for the Sixers when he returns from injury. With his special offensive gifts, McCain can help accentuate what Maxey and Edgecombe have done so well in their starting roles.
In particular, his role versatility from an offensive perspective is thought to be better than that of either Edgecombe or Grimes – another key guard who has been instrumental in the team's early success. Even if McCain comes off the bench behind Edgecombe, he should still be treated as a critical fixture of this rotation.
As McCain returns, four of the six best players on this team will be guards, creating a three-guard unit that has dominated early on. This rotation is likely to have a significant impact on Kelly Oubre Jr.'s minutes, potentially pushing him out of the starting lineup in favor of Jabari Walker or another player who can provide matchup versatility.
However, Nurse should be mindful of the team's existing chemistry and not feel pressured to play George and McCain together immediately. Instead, he should prioritize building his 48-minute rotation plans around the fact that much of the talent on this roster is concentrated in the two-guard positions.
Playing three guards as much as possible will give the Sixers the best sense of which combinations of Maxey, Edgecombe, McCain, and Grimes fit best together. This will also ensure that all these talented young players have ample opportunities to grow and develop their skills.
On a more philosophical note, some fans are wondering how Paul George, Jared McCain, and Trendon Watford will integrate into the team's fast-paced identity. For McCain, it seems like a strong fit – he can be a lethal transition scorer and handle the ball while pushing the pace with his head up.
Watford, however, presents an interesting challenge as a 6-foot-9 point forward who doesn't fill a traditional archetype at all. Despite this, his ability to grab rebounds and initiate transition offense could be exactly what the team is lacking in terms of transition play.
Finally, fans are also wondering how George will fit into the mix when he returns from injury. While Embiid's presence on the floor may prevent the Sixers from fully embracing their pace, George should not have that same impact. He moves faster than Embiid and can spot up for quality three-point looks trailing the team's blazing guards.
Ultimately, the key to integrating these players into the team's identity will be finding a balance between speed and slower, more deliberate play. By leveraging the attention paid to their star players, George should be able to create scoring opportunities for his teammates and make this fast-paced style of play even more effective.
With the 76ers already boasting a strong start to their season, thanks in part to All-NBA-caliber play from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, fans are eagerly awaiting the returns of injured players Paul George and Jared McCain. But as these high-usage players begin to regain health, concerns have begun to arise about how they'll impact the team's existing fast-paced identity.
In a recent mailbag session, PhillyVoice subscribers shared their thoughts on what to expect when George and McCain return. One question stood out above all others: how will the guard rotation be affected by these two key players?
According to some experts, utilizing McCain's elite three-point marksman skills should be a top priority for the Sixers when he returns from injury. With his special offensive gifts, McCain can help accentuate what Maxey and Edgecombe have done so well in their starting roles.
In particular, his role versatility from an offensive perspective is thought to be better than that of either Edgecombe or Grimes – another key guard who has been instrumental in the team's early success. Even if McCain comes off the bench behind Edgecombe, he should still be treated as a critical fixture of this rotation.
As McCain returns, four of the six best players on this team will be guards, creating a three-guard unit that has dominated early on. This rotation is likely to have a significant impact on Kelly Oubre Jr.'s minutes, potentially pushing him out of the starting lineup in favor of Jabari Walker or another player who can provide matchup versatility.
However, Nurse should be mindful of the team's existing chemistry and not feel pressured to play George and McCain together immediately. Instead, he should prioritize building his 48-minute rotation plans around the fact that much of the talent on this roster is concentrated in the two-guard positions.
Playing three guards as much as possible will give the Sixers the best sense of which combinations of Maxey, Edgecombe, McCain, and Grimes fit best together. This will also ensure that all these talented young players have ample opportunities to grow and develop their skills.
On a more philosophical note, some fans are wondering how Paul George, Jared McCain, and Trendon Watford will integrate into the team's fast-paced identity. For McCain, it seems like a strong fit – he can be a lethal transition scorer and handle the ball while pushing the pace with his head up.
Watford, however, presents an interesting challenge as a 6-foot-9 point forward who doesn't fill a traditional archetype at all. Despite this, his ability to grab rebounds and initiate transition offense could be exactly what the team is lacking in terms of transition play.
Finally, fans are also wondering how George will fit into the mix when he returns from injury. While Embiid's presence on the floor may prevent the Sixers from fully embracing their pace, George should not have that same impact. He moves faster than Embiid and can spot up for quality three-point looks trailing the team's blazing guards.
Ultimately, the key to integrating these players into the team's identity will be finding a balance between speed and slower, more deliberate play. By leveraging the attention paid to their star players, George should be able to create scoring opportunities for his teammates and make this fast-paced style of play even more effective.
. They're both so versatile and can stretch the defense in different ways, but at the same time, it might lead to some slower moments if they all start playing together at the same time. It's like trying to squeeze three square pegs into a round hole 
️. The coaches need to figure out how to balance their star power with the existing chemistry of the team and not overload them too much.
. As for Watford, he's got some interesting skills that could help with transition play 
. But yeah, finding a balance between speed and slower moments is key – it'll be cool to see how Nurse balances all these talented guards 
I'm low-key hyped about the 76ers' chances with Paul George, Jared McCain, and Trendon Watford returning from injury 
. And yeah, McCain's three-point skills are straight fire 
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. And omg, four guards on the team is wild 
! But, like, Kelly Oubre Jr.'s minutes might get a hit, that's just part of the game 
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It's like, pure hype mode right now 
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! I think it's dope that they're going to be playing with a strong three-guard unit, it'll create so much matchup problems for opponents. I'd love to see how Coach Nurse adjusts the rotation to maximize their talents 
. Watford's unique skillset is also intriguing, let's see how he develops into a key contributor 
. I'm thinking Nurse should start by giving them some minutes together, just to see what works & what doesn't 
.
. And don't even get me started on Jabari Walker - he's the real dark horse here, could be the perfect glue guy for this team 
when they come back from injury. the key is finding a balance between speed and slowing it down at times, you know? dont wanna sacrifice their fast-paced identity but also need to make sure players like mccain and watford have room to grow 
and thats where coach nurse comes in, he needs to be smart about it 
. I mean, it's not like the team has been struggling or anything (just saying). Seriously though, I think it's cool that they're prioritizing McCain's three-point skills – he can definitely add some much-needed depth to their rotation 
. And let's be real, McCain is gonna bring some serious heat from beyond the arc 
! But at the same time, Watford's unique skillset is intriguing... how will he mesh with the rest of the team? I'm excited to see how this plays out and which guys will step up to take on more minutes 
.
They need to find another way to balance out their pace and slow play. This fast-paced style is just not sustainable in the long run.
! That way he can find the best combinations and let these young players grow together 
and I gotta say, I think Nurse needs to let McCain come off the bench at first, don't wanna mess with their chemistry just yet 
Could be interesting, but for now, I'd rather see him play 20 minutes a night and get some confidence under his belt 
. With Maxey & Edgecombe already bringing da heat, adding in 2 more elite guards will change up da chemistry of da team. Maybe Nurse needs 2 experiment w/ different lineups & rotations 2 see what works best