“Tyrese at the 1, Joel at the 5”: Paul George’s Fit with the 76ers Explained by Nick Nurse

Paul George has brought a newfound excitement to Philadelphia 76ers fans. The City of Brotherly Love can’t wait to witness the prized Wing in action during the upcoming season. With Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey running major scoring operations, a two-way star like George can become the missing piece to an elusive 76ers Championship run. On that note, 76ers Head Coach Nick Nurse explained how he envisions George to fit in his schemes.

On Sirius XM, Nurse pointed out that while the squad had the elite services of Maxey at the guard spot and Embiid at the Center position, they were lacking someone who could make a huge impact as a scoring forward. George fills that void.

The 56-year-old lauded the multi-faceted game that PG-13 brings to the table. The two-way Wing can be a superb shot-creator, a reliable option in crunch time, while bringing veteran presence and experience to the team. Nurse explained,

“We kinda have Tyrese [Maxey] at the 1, Joel [Embiid] at the 5, kinda as the bookends of the team. We needed something in the middle, as a scoring Wing and he is certainly that. I think he is certainly capable of playing both ends. I think he is capable of being a big shot-maker, late game shot-maker, and he is an experienced guy that can put it in the bucket in a lot of levels.”

“He can post you a little bit, he can shoot the three, he can handle, and all that kind of stuff. So, super excited,” the veteran HC added.

How does Paul George fit the new look 76ers?

Head coach Nick Nurse answers that in his sit down with @TermineRadio and @TheFrankIsola at the #NBA2kSummerLeague pic.twitter.com/WNrATpFVJ3

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 16, 2024

Paul George is surely an upgrade over 76ers’ previous forward option Tobias Harris. While Harris did bring defensive chops alongside some off-the-ball scoring, George is a more effective scorer and a better defender as well.

Apart from George, the 76ers made another remarkable signing with Caleb Martin. Martin is a stable two-way Wing who might not be as effective as PG-13, but brings terrific balance. Therefore, the 76ers can roll out a starting lineup with a couple of Wings who can be a headache.

Kelly Oubre Jr. as the off-guard brings great scoring chops, which means that the 76ers have surely upgraded their offense compared to last year.

Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon as backcourt partners means a lot of veteran leadership off the bench. Meanwhile, Andre Drummond at the Center is a brilliant backup to Embiid. As for the other bench players, rookie Jared McCain and sophomore Ricky Council IV have a solid case as injury fillers.

But one downside of having a veteran roster is the injury toll. Embiid is highly injury-prone. On the other hand, as a 34-year-old, George’s body has also gone through massive wear and tear. If these two are injured at the same time, then the 76ers are going to have huge problems on both ends of the floor.