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PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the best offenses in the NBA in the early goings of the 2023-24 season, ranking third in offensive rating. But their defense has been a major point of emphasis this season as Nick Nurse has tuned his aggressive tactics beautifully so far. Philly ranks fifth in defensive rating to this point.
The Sixers swiped first place in the Eastern Conference from the Boston Celtics by beating them in a defensive slugfest where both teams shot the ball poorly. Kristaps Porzingis went off but Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were held in check. Joel Embiid always serves as the anchor but now has more help around him.
Smaller guys like Tyrese Maxey and De'Anthony Melton are incentivized to generate turnovers to kickstart early offense. Tobias Harris, Kelly Oubre Jr., Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum are tasked with holding it down against some of the better players on opposing teams (plus Melton against guards). Patrick Beverley and Paul Reed create chaos and bring the energy. By looking at the Sixers' synchronization in their rotations, one might not fully believe this team has played less than five games with their newest players.
This was the play that prompted my tweet. Incredible connectivity. Everybody does their part in different ways. https://t.co/2w32QKFHqS pic.twitter.com/4vTbCEnuCR
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) November 9, 2023
After beating the Celtics, Maxey — who had the biggest defensive highlight of the game — was asked if the Sixers' new style of defense was more fun. It certainly looks that way with how effective it is and how it contributes to offense. He didn’t comment on how fun it is but rather how impactful it is.
“I mean, yeah, it's cool. I mean, I guess it's not about fun. It's about being able to execute it and being able to talk through it,” Maxey said. “It's good for us 'cause we know, okay, as soon as they make contact on the screen, I'm switching no matter what the situation is. No matter who it is, no matter how tall the defender is or the offensive player is, I know I'm switching on to 'em.
“And then because we have the tendencies and the scouting report and we know what we're trying to get, send guys to and try to get them off what they like to do, it makes it easier for us, I feel like,” Maxey continued. “And then we got the Eagles behind us — guys in the gaps. It's been great. And then we got Joel behind us, too. So, that's helpful.”
Embiid's 2.3 blocks per game are currently fifth in the NBA. The Sixers' superstar had four against Boston and has altered countless other shots and has lots of help on the perimeter. Philly's collection of wings gives them better depth than ever in the Embiid era.
“That's one thing I really like about this team,” Nurse said. “We may not have like one guy that's a lockdown — like, you know, this guy's gonna need to guard. We can't switch, we can't play schemes. We've got, like, five above-average guys with size and athletic ability and aggressiveness. You know, guys that are out there trying really hard to guard. We asked them to get into 'em and pick 'em up and just whoever ended up on 'em to do that. I thought we made those guys really work and that was one thing we wanted to do that we evidently did pretty good.”
The Sixers nearly folded against the Celtics but the fact that they held on to win shows the type of talent they have and how well it's being utilized. While the roster is far from perfect, Nurse is making the absolute most of the strong batch of players he has.
