Nick Nurse has commented on the happenings within the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the new season in the NBA.
The central topic of discussion is undoubtedly James Harden and his conflict with the team’s management. The “City of Brotherly Love” team was deprived of the services of the “Beard,” the NBA’s first beard, throughout the entire preseason. There had been speculation in the 76ers camp that Harden might be traded to another team, but as of now, that has not materialized.
The Milwaukee Bucks will be Philadelphia’s first opponent in the new season, and as things stand, they will open the competition without the three-time NBA scoring champion.
“We’ve been preparing for this scenario all week. Many things were focused on Harden during the summer and preseason. As I’ve already mentioned, there’s a backup plan if things don’t change. I don’t think it has affected the rest of the team at all. We’re ready to step onto the court and play. I think it will be without Harden unless something changes,” said Nick Nurse.
Philadelphia 76ers
As previously mentioned, Philadelphia had a turbulent summer. Harden’s feud with General Manager Daryl Morey marked that period. It seemed that the American guard was about to change his destination and head to the “City of Angels.” He even publicly criticized his former close associate, but nothing changed. This is the burden with which Philadelphia enters the new season, and it seems that these shackles will once again be too heavy for Joel Embiid to bear.
The pressure consistently paralyzes the Cameroonian center, which can be seen time and time again in playoff series. Taking this situation into account, it’s clear how challenging the test is for him. Embiid will have an excellent regular season, but it can already be assumed that, as a rule, all the “dirty laundry” will be aired immediately after a potential playoff elimination. Then, it’s back to square one. The arrival of Kelly Oubre may help, but it might not be enough to make the necessary leap forward.