Injuries forced the struggling Sixers into a youth movement. But is that here to stay?

A question deep into Nick Nurse’s news conference was subtly revealing. Following last Wednesday’s overtime loss to the Houston Rockets, Nurse was asked how he is keeping veterans “bought into the program” amid a woeful, injury-riddled 4-14 start to a much-anticipated 2024-25 season.

In response, a matter-of-fact Nurse said, “I’ve certainly given those guys ample opportunity to earn more minutes.”

He added: “That’s it. They’ve got to earn them.”

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Nurse also candidly said earlier this season that he always planned to give those players the first crack at the reserve rotation spots as a do-right move by a coach leading a (supposedly) win-now team. But injuries — most recently to center Andre Drummond, wing Caleb Martin, and point guard Reggie Jackson — have forced Nurse into giving significant run to Ricky Council IV, KJ Martin, and Adem Bona, continuing to lean into this youth movement might also be the best path forward as the Sixers attempt to stage a dramatic turnaround.

It is a bit unfair to already call it a massive roster-building failure (or miscalculation) to have added or re-signed players such as Drummond, who is 31, Jackson (34), Eric Gordon (35), and Kyle Lowry (38) during a heavily praised offseason. None of them have spent time in the complementary role they were brought here or retained to fill.

Drummond was supposed to be a backup and spot starter who could gobble up rebounds and occupy the paint, not a full-time first-teamer. Lowry was expected to play 15 minutes per game, not be a lead ballhandler. And Nurse was encouraged about the big-man chemistry developing between Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele during the Rockets game, a necessity while superstar Joel Embiid manages a knee issue.

But the Sixers flashed more visible bounce — and competitiveness — with a younger rotation on the floor to bolster All-Stars Tyrese Maxey and Paul George the past two games. Even if Nurse acknowledged, when asked if athleticism was a factor in turning to Council against the Rockets, that he “just [didn’t] really have anybody else over there” on the bench.

Council responded that night with his second-career double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds), then totaled 17 points and five rebounds in Saturday’s victory over the shorthanded (and admittedly gassed) Detroit Pistons. That personal surge for the second-year guard came after some reflective film study, when Council conceded that he was focused more on proving he could be a reliable three-point shooter than his primary responsibility to crash the glass.

» READ MORE: Young wings Ricky Council IV and KJ Martin make a strong case to stay in the Sixers’ rotation

Rookie Jared McCain, however, was the first youngster to cement a rotation spot amid a scoring tear that almost certainly will earn him the NBA’s Rookie of the Month award for November.

With Lowry sidelined with a hip strain, McCain flashed a wide-eyed grin when speaking about starting alongside Embiid, George, and Maxey in a Nov. 20 loss at the Memphis Grizzlies. But after seven consecutive 20-point games — including a 30-point outburst in an Oct. 22 win against the Brooklyn Nets that prompted him to shout, “I’m the Rookie of the Year!” — he has missed 29 of his last 41 shots over three outings.

He also moved back to a reserve role Saturday, a way Nurse could more directly split up the ballhandling duties between him and Maxey, and will need to rediscover himself there after not attempting a shot in the first half against the Pistons.

Fellow rookie Bona, meanwhile, became the most abrupt rotation addition Saturday, when he entered after Drummond left with a sprained ankle early against the Pistons. Bona finished with four points, five rebounds, and three blocked shots in 19 minutes, 37 seconds.

It was another fitting twist for Bona, whose last couple of weeks have been full of quintessential second-round rookie experiences. He flew from Miami to Atlanta for an assignment with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats — and then back hours later — when Embiid became doubtful (then available) to play against the Heat because of an illness. Bona got his first significant NBA minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers’ vaunted frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on Nov. 13. And he played in a G League and NBA game in the same day, on Nov. 24.

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Martin’s role, meanwhile, has significantly fluctuated during the season’s first five weeks. He was an opening-night starter following a surprisingly strong training camp, then out of the rotation by Nov. 10. But against the Pistons, he totaled 19 points — his highest scoring total as a Sixer — on 7-of-8 shooting, along with six rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. He also provides versatility to guard out to the perimeter or play small-ball center.

“After experiencing [inconsistent minutes] last year, I’m able to kind of deal with it,” Martin recently told The Inquirer. “The most important thing is being a good teammate. … I’m realistic with myself, and I know what I still need to work on.”

When asked during that conversation about how the Sixers have aimed to remain mentally steady during this rough start, Martin playfully rattled off that “Reggie’s old. Paul’s old. Kyle is ancient.” Martin’s comments then turned sincere, noting that the veterans’ experience “in basketball and in life in general” along with his “young energy every single day” are beneficial to a roster attempting to right itself.

And what Nurse finds more valuable right now could be on display during Tuesday’s matchup at the Charlotte Hornets, as Lowry, Jackson, and Caleb Martin were listed as probable to play on the NBA’s Monday-evening injury report. Are those younger rotation players purely a stopgap because of injuries? Or is the “ample opportunity” for those veterans over, officially making it time for the Sixers to complement their All-Stars with a bit of a youth movement?