The Sixers have some similarities to the 2019 Raptors, but aren’t collectively as talented

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s understandable why some would say the 76ers bear some semblance to the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors.

But when you really break down the situations, the teams are different.

Sure, the Sixers are holding their best player, Joel Embiid, out of certain games this regular season with the hope that he’ll be healthy in the postseason. The Raptors did the same thing with their best player, Kawhi Leonard, that season.

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Leonard sat out back-to-back games and other occasional games to get the proper rest while recovering from a nagging quadriceps injury that limited him to nine games during the 2017-18 season with the San Antonio Spurs. The Raptors load management plan worked and led them to their lone title.

The small forward averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 24 games during the 2019 postseason. He was named Finals MVP for the second time in his career.

Now six seasons later, the Sixers intend to follow a similar approach with Embiid. That has led to Nick Nurse, who coached the 2019 title-winning Raptors team, being constantly asked if there are any parallels to the situations.

“I think there’s a little bit [of similarity],” said Nurse, who’s in his second season coaching the Sixers. “I think with Kawhi, it was a little different. I don’t think we knew leading into Game 1 where he was going to be at all because he hadn’t played in so long.

“He obviously was ready. He had a great training camp and we knew he was ready to go. … But I think we were not going to play back to backs until December, if I remember, was our initial plan.”

The Raptors extended that timeline because the team was playing well and didn’t need him on a nightly basis.

“I have an idea of what we’re doing, too,” Nurse said. “But I think it’s always fluid, how he responds and how things are going. So hopefully some of that will come in handy.”

The problem is that the Sixers aren’t collectively as talented as the 2018-19 Raptors, who went 17-5 in games Leonard missed.

Meanwhile, the Embiid and Paul George-less Sixers take a 0-2 record into Sunday’s game against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

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They’re coming off an uninspiring 115-107 loss Friday night to the Raptors squad playing without RJ Barrett (AC joint sprain in his right shoulder), Bruce Brown (right knee arthroscopic surgery), Kelly Olynyk (back sprain), Immanuel Quickley (right pelvic bruise), and Ja’ Kobe Walter (right AC joint sprain).

It’s easy to blame the loss on the Sixers being without their two perennial All-Stars. But let’s be honest. They still should have defeated that rebuilding Toronto squad whether Embiid (left knee injury recovery) and George (left knee bone bruise) played or not.

“They outplayed us,” Nurse said. “They’re just a little faster, a little better execution-wise, a little bit better on the glass. I think we showed a little frustration early again. I’m not sure why, it’s a long game, et cetera.”

The Sixers also were doomed by foul trouble, which led to Andre Drummond, Guerschon Yabusele, KJ Martin, and Adem Bona logging time at center in the first quarter.

The problem is that the Sixers must rely heavily on their three maximum salary players — Embiid, George, and All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey — as the roster is currently constructed.

Because of salary camp restrictions, the Sixers were limited on how much they could spend on players to mesh with the Big Three. Four of their key pieces — Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, and Guerschon Yabusele — are on minimum-salary contracts. Lowry (38 years old) and Gordon (35) are among the oldest players in the league. Meanwhile, Jackson turns 35 in April.

They’re still solid contributors, as shown by Lowry averaging 13.5 points and 4.0 assists and shooting 60% on three-pointers. But at this stage of the veteran’s 19th year in the league, Lowry was expected to video leadership and point-guard depth during the season. Like Embiid, it would be wise to keep him fresh for the postseason.

But as the team’s best pure point guard, he has to provide ballhandling duties and three-point shooting, at least during the start of this season.

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Lowry was a member of that Raptors championship team. Back then, he was in the prime of his career. The North Philly native nabbed the fifth of what would be six straight All-Star berths. He also averaged a career-high 8.7 assists.

Lowry and Leonard were a part of a starting lineup that included Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol, and Danny Green. Meanwhile, Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, and Norman Powell were key players off the bench. OG Anunoby also was a member of that squad.

With Nurse tinkering with several different lineups and the trade deadline acquisition of Gasol, the Raptors postseason starting lineup was intact for just 114 minutes in the regular season.

But that didn’t stop them from finishing with the Eastern Conference’s second-best record of 58-24.

The Sixers’ marquee players, however, may have to carry a lot of the load for this regular season to be a success. That’s not a knock on them. It’s just that the Sixers filled the roster with a bunch of players with specific skill sets to play off Embiid, Maxey, and George.

Whereas, Siakam was the league’s Most Improved Player during the 2018-19 season. He and VanVleet would become All-Stars, while Anunoby blossomed into one of the league’s elite defenders.

That’s why these are different situations.

The Sixers are 16-29 without Embiid since the start of last season. George was acquired in part to help Maxey carry the load on nights the center is unavailable. The team may find out that even his addition won’t fill the void as much as they thought.

If so, the only thing that would remain similar is a plan to rest their best player.