dpLAS VEGAS – Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse entered this offseason thinking next season’s team would resemble the one he took to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Like almost everyone else, though, Nurse was floored by Philly acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics. Nurse has spent his summer bracing for a roster with a suddenly higher floor and ceiling after the 76ers had 45 wins and the East’s No. 7 seed last season. More importantly, his preparation for coaching Brown may mirror his prep for Kawhi Leonard, who led the Nurse-coached Toronto Raptors to the 2019 NBA title.
“My first thoughts are that I’ve had a lot of battles against him,” Nurse told a select group of reporters Saturday morning, referring to Brown. “You watch him get a lot better from year to year and how much harder it became to game plan for him and things like that. He’s won a lot. Obviously, he’s won a title and a finals MVP. I think he’s a two-way player, and I think he’s versatile. I think he’s right there, sitting in his prime. It’s amazing that he’s a Sixer.”
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Suddenly, Nurse has more talent than he’s had during any point of his three-year Philly coaching tenure. And suddenly, a team with a perceived second-round ceiling will enter next season with heightened expectations.
What Nurse laments is how the Sixers’ 2025-26 season ended. Their New York Knicks-induced sweep is obviously something he won’t rehash at length. The result was bad enough. He just wants to ensure his team, which eliminated Brown’s Celtics in seven games two months ago, doesn’t run out of gas at the wrong time.
To win at a high level, a roster needs the requisite depth. Philadelphia hasn’t had that. Almost halfway through July, and not even mentioning Philadelphia’s pursuit of LeBron James, the 76ers have gone a long way toward fixing their depth issues. Anfernee Simons is a high-octane guard coming off the bench. First-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. has been an NBA Summer League standout through two games, and Nurse said he envisions the rising rookie being in his rotation at the beginning of the regular season.
“I think Anfernee and Philon are both going to be important,” Nurse said. “I think both of them are handlers that can play some pick-and-roll and score the ball. Both of them are super athletes. It seems like we’ve gotten faster and a lot more athletic. Of course, there are some other issues. We might be a touch small at times, but I certainly take the speed and athleticism. Then, it’s just up to our staff to get these guys and put them in the right spot.”
Nurse added: “I really like Anfernee a lot. Obviously, he can really score. He shoots it easy, and he shoots it off the bounce. I think he’s a heck of a talent. I think that this was an example of a player kind of being tucked away on a bad team. But when you watch him play, you see that this guy can get by and vault up and score. So, we’re really excited about that.”
Even if James chooses another destination for next season, the Sixers’ talent infusion is real. Brown, Joel Embiid and point guard Tyrese Maxey are all-NBA-level talents. Shooting guard VJ Edgecombe is entering his second season and has star potential. Brown, Embiid and Maxey all need the basketball to be effective. That said, it’s important for those three and Nurse to gauge how to let Edgecombe grow.
Nurse wants Edgecombe to be more aggressive in transition, a pathway for easy points. But Philly’s fortunes depend on two factors: first, ensuring its newly created quartet meshes; second, keeping Embiid healthy for the postseason.
Maxey will be an important factor because he’ll need to get teammates the ball in the right spots at the right times. He will have to figure out who’s on a roll offensively and balance that with his own scoring. Maxey was an offensive engine last season. For Philly’s offense to operate at a high level next season, he likely will need to be more of a facilitator.
“I would say his priorities are keeping it pretty simple,” Nurse said. “I tell you guys this a lot. I’ll say it again. He’s got so much more room for improvement in the middle of that. He’s so fast to the rim, and he obviously can shoot the basketball with range. He can go and play one on one from all three levels and get a shot off and nail it. He’s got that in his game. He’s just so good at the other stuff. I just want him to keep it simple and keep doing what he’s doing. I want him to continue to grow as a leader and to continue to get better defensively. He’s made great strides at that over the last two years. I just want him to continue to grow and keep having fun out there and bring that energy for the rest of the group.”
