The Philadelphia 76ers have to revamp their play style heading into the 2023-24 season. New head coach Nick Nurse has been tasked with installing a plan around Joel Embiid that can make him and the Sixers a real threat in the postseason. Should James Harden decide to stick around, Nurse is prepared to build a better offense around both of them.

Nurse sat down with The Hoop Collective to discuss the NBA Finals and his Sixers team. He was very complimentary of Harden and Embiid's chemistry but knows that he has to get more out of them.

“It is a deadly inside-outside combination. It is a deadly pick-and-roll combination,” Nurse said. “And just, what other areas of the offensive side can we do to polish that, make them even more efficient — not in those kind of acitons, but maybe other actions? And then what’s the best thing that we can do defensively to max those guys out?”

Harden assisted Embiid way more than any player assisted another this season. The versatility that each player has made their pick-and-roll the lethal staple of their offense, which was top-five in offensive rating. Still, it stalled out in key moments during the playoffs due to Embiid's struggles to read the floor against aggressive defenses and the stagnant flow that came about when Embiid and Harden couldn’t find openings.

The event that Harden leaves the Sixers doesn’t seem like the forgone conclusion it once was. But the chance that he rejoins the Houston Rockets is still definitely there. He and Nurse have sat down to talk as he considers his options.

“I did meet with him. Really good talk,” Nurse said. “I've talked to him quite a bit. He's an intelligent player. He sees a lot in the game…And he's very enjoyable to talk basketball with. Very smart and has a lot of experience, a lot of success.”

Nurse doesn’t want to just focus on Embiid and Harden. In his introductory press conference, he explained how Tyrese Maxey can grow into a bigger creator for offense and said on The Hoop Collective that he wants the young guard to “take a level up” next season. He said that he wants role players like Tobias Harris, P.J. Tucker and De'Anthony Melton to be ready to step up for big playoff games occasionally, just like the Denver Nuggets role players are.

The Sixers have a lot of choices as to who to surround Embiid and Harden with. Finding quick-release shooters at the forward spot should be of the utmost importance. Nurse believes the Sixers are on the cusp of a breakthrough and is ready to give them the tactical push they need to make it.