Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Omer Osman: Nick Nurse on the Toronto Raptors building bridges with their alumni: “It shows a lot of maturity. The organization’s maturing just as the years go by, and you have these occasions of success to celebrate […] I think it’s great.” “I can tell you just yesterday, I’m sitting in our practice facility, looking at the names up there: Moses [Malone], and Dr. J [Julius Erving]. To me, it’s such a historic thing to be a part of. Now the Raptors get to start telling their little bit of historic stories, too.” “As far as long as I’ve been around, they’ve [Raptors] always done everything first-class and the right way. Now it’s nice to see them be able to celebrate some of the greatness that they’ve had.”
Getting Brown proved to be the move that unlocked Philadelphia’s ability to recruit LeBron James. But how the Sixers approached this summer provides a window into the new man in charge of the front office. In addition to conversations with Gansey and head coach Nick Nurse, The Athletic spoke with three league sources with direct knowledge of Philadelphia’s offseason maneuvering. The sources spoke on the conditions of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss private trade talks, negotiations and recruitment efforts.
“I think it’s fantastic for the city,” Brown said over the phone Tuesday night, as he drove with his family to Ventnor, NJ, for some shore time. “I think it’s an endorsement to the players and Nick (Nurse) that LeBron chose them. There’s a lot of great things to be admitted with LeBron’s decision to come to Philadelphia, and Jaylen (Brown)’s trade. It’s real. They’ve got a team that is as good as anybody in the league. We’re always relying on health and luck and all that, but shoot, to start with, they put that group on the floor …”
That was none other than LeBron James. Brett Brown and Co. whiffed on that score, as James, having declined his player option at the end of his second go-round with his hometown Cavaliers, opted to sign a free-agent contract with the Lakers. But now, all these years later, LeBron is here. “I think it’s fantastic for the city,” Brown said over the phone Tuesday night, as he drove with his family to Ventnor, NJ, for some shore time. “I think it’s an endorsement to the players and Nick (Nurse) that LeBron chose them. There’s a lot of great things to be admitted with LeBron’s decision to come to Philadelphia, and Jaylen (Brown)’s trade. It’s real. They’ve got a team that is as good as anybody in the league. We’re always relying on health and luck and all that, but shoot, to start with, they put that group on the floor …”
Marc J. Spears: Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Phil Handy is finalizing a deal to become an assistant coach with Philadelphia Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, a source said. Handy previously worked with Nurse in Toronto and with LeBron James with the Cavs and Lakers. Great addition for Nurse.
Advertisement
Rajon Rondo: "Other teams that they don't fit. No disrespect to anybody but obviously Golden State, they are too old. LeBron James would have had to play too much, it would have been too much on his plate. To me, Miami doesn't have enough shooting at all, so they won't be difficult to kind of get with in the playoffs. And then, what was the other team? I guess Cleveland maybe? So, no, I don't see that. That's not a good fit. Him, James, and Donovan, no, that's not a good fit. But Maxey, who always plays without the ball, the way that he can shoot the basketball, Anfernee Simons, like we mentioned, we mentioned RJ, one of my favorite underrated guards in the league coming off the bench. I mean, it is going to be crazy. And let's not talk about the man in charge, Nick Nurse."
"We'll sit down, talk to him, talk to performance staff, talk to [coach] Nick [Nurse] and try to figure out a plan," Gansey said when asked if he has a number in mind for how many games Embiid would play. "These guys want to play every game, but we got to map it out and see what's best for him and the team."
Who has that role won't be so clear-cut in Philadelphia, at least to start. It puts a lot of pressure on 76ers head coach Nick Nurse to earn the trust of the two new headliners, and then for them to cultivate it with the incumbent players. "What's their belief when s--- gets tough? What sets are they running?" the coach said. "Who's the leader? Does Jaylen Brown become the vocal leader? Is it Bron? What about Maxey, is he one of the guys? There's the dynamic stuff that's more important than the physical stuff." Another assistant coach believes that will be worked out, perhaps sooner than expected. "They all know they're going to have to sacrifice," he said. "The respect for each other's individual games is already established, and the crown will be passed around and understood."
John Clark: Sounds like LeBron James will run the point for the Sixers. Sixers Coach Nick Nurse: ”He is an offense creator. He is certainly a guy that will bring the ball up the floor and try to create for himself and others. He is really good for others.“
John Clark: “I’m pretty sure every single person I’ve ever known has texted me or emailed me to say congrats. So that’s pretty cool.” -Nick Nurse on getting LeBron James to sign with the Sixers. Nick gives us his pitch that he made to LeBron to sell him on coming to Philly and how he intends to use him on the court.
Advertisement
What do you think of the fit? Assistant coach #1: “I don’t question anything about LeBron, and if he can lift the ceiling. I just question how quickly the coaches and the players are going to be able to figure this out. Jaylen has been in one place his whole career. Just trying to fit him in is going to be hard. This is a new experience for him. Sometimes, it’s not as easy as it seems to go out there and play basketball. I just think they’re going to have a lot to figure out. Embiid can’t move. He’s slow. He doesn’t play every game. He struggles to get up and down the floor. LeBron is older, too. Then you have two little speed guards. It’s a lot in the recipe. You throw it in the pot. That’s a lot to figure out. It’s hard coaching talent in the NBA, anyways. It’s such a delicate balance. Doing that on that scale and that level of attention and expectations, it’s a gift and a curse. I’m happy for Nick Nurse. At the same time, I’m scared for his health.”
Jeff Goodman: New Weber State coach Kaleb Canales is hiring Pat Zipfel as his associate head coach, he told @TheFieldOf68. Zipfel has been in the NBA for the last 25-plus years, the last 3 with the 76ers on Nick Nurse’s staff as advance scout. He’s regarded as one of the league’s best advance scouts. Canales and Zipfel have known one another for 20 years when they were with the Portland Trailblazers.
Channing Frye: "Nick Nurse, one thing that's not taking into consideration is Nick Nurse is a beast. And so when you add all these personalities to a team, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, you know, Bron, VJ Edgecombe, you know, Jaylen Brown, you need a coach that can handle all that that's going to put them in the right situation. A lot of them, everyone's going to talk about usage rate, but Nick Nurse made it work in Toronto with, you know, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard."
"Ultimately, Philadelphia makes a move and then boom! Now you got Jaylen Brown," Paul said. "Now hold on, wait a minute now. This looks a lot different." Paul said James' close relationship with Tyrese Maxey, who also is represented by Klutch Sports, played an invaluable role in convincing the superstar that the transition to his new team will be smoother than it could be elsewhere. "I think he helps everybody on that team," Paul said. "When you talk about a secondary playmaker, if [James is] your secondary playmaker, you have the best secondary playmaker in the league. He helps Tyrese in terms of pick-and-roll action. ... I think Nick Nurse can take a little page out of Ty Lue's book and use Tyrese as the screener. When you talk about a guy like V.J. Edgecombe, he definitely helps him.