Sixers 2023-24 season preview: Top storylines, players to watch, and key games

This simple question was lobbed to Nick Nurse during his news conference before Monday’s preseason game at the Brooklyn Nets: Will he feel his 76ers are ready when the regular season begins next week?

“I don’t know if you’re ever going to feel like you’re ready going into the opener,” Nurse said. “I think you never really know.”

That’s natural with a new coaching staff guiding a team with internal hopes of being a contender, while finally crashing through the second-round ceiling. And given that reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid has not yet appeared in a preseason game. And after the Boston Celtics, who traded for Kristaps Porzingis and All-Star guard Jrue Holiday, and the Milwaukee Bucks, who pulled off an offseason stunner by acquiring superstar guard Damian Lillard, increased the on-paper distance between them and the Sixers in the Eastern Conference.

» READ MORE: James Harden cynics predicted drama would eventually hit the Sixers. It didn’t take long.

Yet the biggest source of the Sixers’ uncertainty is, of course, the James Harden saga. The repercussions of his trade request and deteriorated relationship with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey not only comes with the risk of internal and external distraction. It also affects so many on-court tentacles, from Tyrese Maxey’s role, to where Embiid gets the ball, to how the roster could be shuffled with a trade return package.

So it’s no surprise that the league’s general managers voted the Sixers as the most unpredictable team in their annual NBA.com survey heading into the season. To help prepare for such a ride, here is a primer on the storylines, players, and games to watch during the season:

How — and when? — is this Harden situation resolved?

Tracking every James Harden turn ― including his absences from practice Wednesday and Thursday ― has been covered extensively.

A Cliffs Notes version: Harden says his relationship with Morey is beyond repair, and he still wants out of Philly. Morey is committed to waiting for a deal that yields either a star-caliber player, or assets that can quickly be flipped for one. And the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden’s preferred destination, aren’t going to bid against themselves.

Two dates to keep an eye on are Dec. 15, when most free agents who signed this past summer are eligible to be traded, and Feb. 8, the trade deadline. For reference, former disgruntled point guard Ben Simmons was not moved (coincidentally, for Harden) until the afternoon of the trade deadline two seasons ago.

Is Maxey ready for the leap?

The most significant on-court ripple of a lengthy Harden absence is Maxey’s sliding to lead guard.

The dynamic 22-year-old was in a similar position two years ago, when Simmons held out before being traded. Now, Maxey has much more experience — and All-Star potential — after averaging 20.3 points per game last season. He has quickly morphed into an elite outside shooter (43.4% from three-point range last season) and is explosive with the ball in his hands.

The next step: improving as a playmaker, while still being aggressive. Harden, after all, averaged a league-best 10.7 assists per game last season.

What is Embiid’s MVP encore?

Embiid has ascended into a dominant, versatile offensive weapon. He led the NBA in points per game in each of the last two seasons, by scoring in ways that seemed impossible for a 7-footer in past generations. He was rewarded with the sport’s highest individual honor, which he has admittedly coveted after twice finishing as runner-up.

Now, Embiid said his next step is utilizing that attention from opposing defenses to improve his passing, creating easier shots for teammates in a more free-flowing offense. Nurse also wants Embiid to save more energy for the defensive end, to take more swings at blocks.

» READ MORE: Sixers’ Patrick Beverley takes on familiar role of veteran leader and defensive sparkplug

Though Embiid’s individual stats might take a dip, that approach aligns with Nurse’s style on both ends. And that might help keep him healthy for the postseason, which have recently been derailed by unlucky injuries.

The Nurse effect

During a particularly robust offseason coaching carousel, Nurse’s hiring was perhaps the best-reviewed by outsiders. And following several high-profile showdowns against the Sixers, Nurse now gets the opportunity to apply his creative tactics in Philly. He is perhaps best known for unleashing aggressive defenses that force turnovers, igniting opportunities for transition points. Nurse, like Embiid, has stressed an offensive style predicated on ball movement.

A veteran-heavy Sixers team must be open to buying into some early experimentation, and trust that Nurse will scrap concepts if they do not work.

Retooled bench

The Sixers lost three key rotation players in free agency: sharpshooting stretch-forward Georges Niang, backup combo guard Shake Milton, and rangy wing Jalen McDaniels.

Moving in are veteran defensive guard Patrick Beverley, big men Mo Bamba and Filip Petrusev, returning veteran wing Danny Green, and athletic wing Kelly Oubre Jr. Oubre, who averaged a career-high 20.3 points last year but was a late roster addition on a veteran’s minimum contract, has particularly popped in the preseason as a let-it-fly shooter with defensive potential.

If Harden is not in the picture in the short- or long-term, De’Anthony Melton is likely to move into the starting lineup.

Maxey is the obvious answer here, given his promising start and importance if the Harden saga lingers. But Springer has arguably been the story of the preseason, with Nurse acknowledging the third-year guard’s play has forced him to rethink the rotation.

Springer has always been lauded as a tenacious defender, as evidenced by his eye-popping block on the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum in the preseason opener. After two seasons spent mostly in the G League, Springer has had an uptick in confidence that is noticeable. And preseason injuries to teammates such as Danuel House Jr. and Furkan Korkmaz may have opened an opportunity for Springer to get legitimate NBA minutes for the first time.

16.7: The number of turnovers Nurse’s Toronto defense forced per game a year ago. The Sixers have flashed that style so far in the preseason, most notably in turning 28 takeaways into 30 points in a win Monday in Brooklyn.

40.9: The Sixers’ rebounding average per game last season, which ranked 26th in the NBA. Nurse has said his new team must make strides in cleaning up either that area — especially on the offensive end — or a poor transition defense that allowed 15.5 fastbreak points in 2022-23.

97.4: The Sixers’ pace, or number of possessions in a game. That was also near the bottom of the NBA, at least partially because of Embiid’s and Harden’s iso-heavy style. Look for that to shift under Nurse. Maxey, for instance, has been asked to rebound more in order to immediately push the ball in transition.

38.7: The Sixers’ three-point percentage last year, which led the NBA on middle-of-the-pack attempts. Maxey’s terrific clip was a significant reason for that. So was that Harden’s percentage from deep (38.5) was his best since his final season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, in 2011-12. Yet the Sixers will miss Niang, who made 40.2% of his five attempts per game in two seasons in Philly.

Oct. 26 at Milwaukee: This nationally televised opening night brings a stiff initial challenge: countering the official debut of the Bucks’ star duo of Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Nov. 8 vs. Boston: The Sixers also get an early-season matchup against the East’s other top contender. A week later, the Sixers play the Celtics again — but on the second night of a home back-to-back.

Dec. 25 at Miami: The Sixers are back on the NBA’s showcase holiday, facing a Heat team coming off an improbable NBA Finals run and still spearheaded by ruthless former Sixer Jimmy Butler.

» READ MORE: Sixers will wear City Edition jerseys inspired by Reading Terminal Market during 2023-24 season

Jan. 27 at Denver: The first showdown between the last two MVP winners, Embiid and Nikola Jokic, is actually Jan. 16 in Philly. But internet discourse ran wild after Embiid missed a late-season game in the Mile High City last March.

Feb. 3 vs. Brooklyn: This is Ben Simmons’ first trip to Philly of the 2023-24 season. Does that even matter anymore?

March 24 at Clippers: Will Harden finally be a Clipper at this point? If so, this could be a revenge game for multiple players on both sides.