CAMDEN, N.J. — The Sixers returned to practice Tuesday looking to address some of the issues that contributed to their first loss of the season against the Detroit Pistons.
With Philadelphia preparing to face the Indiana Pacers, the Sixers announced that VJ Edgecombe and Tacko Fall returned to practice while Jabari Walker has begun individual workouts.
After practice, head coach Nick Nurse discussed the team's persistent rebounding struggles, his experimentation with LeBron James at center and rookie Labaron Philon's early opportunities.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Tuesday's practice.
“We’re going to be a good rebounding team.”
That was the message from Nick Nurse following a preseason practice earlier this month.
Through four games, however, the Sixers have been outrebounded in every contest and rank in the bottom five in the NBA in both total rebounds and rebounding percentage.
Philadelphia has particularly struggled on the offensive glass, ranking last in the league in offensive rebounding percentage (ORB%). The Sixers are the only team in the NBA with an offensive rebounding rate below 20 percent, sitting at 18 percent. For context, the league average was roughly 27 percent last season.
On Tuesday, Nurse addressed the team's rebounding struggles, particularly its inability to finish defensive possessions.
“I think that it's certainly been one of our priority areas to address coming into training camp,” Nurse said. “I think that the pieces moving have a little bit to do with it. I think that our guys understand that we have to do a better job. I mean, listen, if you want to look at the bright side, a lot of these things are happening because we're forcing them into really tough shots, late shot clock things, all that kind of stuff. But we just got to finish it.
“Everybody's got to be on a 'chase-the-ball' alert once we've made a miss, and that will clean up a lot of those second-chance points, and a lot of those are big ones, like kick-outs for threes.”
While the lack of offensive rebounding has limited Philadelphia's opportunities for second-chance points, its struggles on the defensive glass have been equally concerning.
The Sixers also rank in the bottom five in second-chance points allowed, surrendering an average of 20 per game. Those additional possessions have repeatedly allowed opponents to capitalize even when Philadelphia has forced difficult shots.
“I think the defensive rebounding has to improve. And I think we'll get challenged with it. I think teams are sending lots of crashers against us, so we got challenged. We gotta fix that, and we should be able to do that.”
Philadelphia's lack of size is undoubtedly contributing to its rebounding struggles, but there is little Nurse can do to change the personnel available to him. With injuries further depleting the frontcourt and roster flexibility limited, the responsibility falls on Nurse to find ways to minimize the damage until reinforcements become available.
MORE: Sixers can't afford to ignore their frontcourt problems
Another side effect of the team's lack of frontcourt depth is the need for players to play out of position. Nurse has used Dean Wade and, at times, LeBron James at center out of necessity.
James has served as both the defensive center, allowing Embiid to roam defensively, and the outright center in Embiid's absence.
It's far from a seamless fit, but so far, Nurse has liked what he's seen from LeBron.
“I thought he played fine. I think that we were certainly challenged there on which way to go, with the number of our bigs being out. And I think the biggest thing I'm happy about is Bona played more like we're used to seeing, and probably would have went that way if that body of work had been in front of that game. So, it's easy to say when you're looking back on it that you could have made some other moves and all that kind of stuff. But I mean, listen, we've had some amazing moments with LeBron at the five, so I'm gonna I'm gonna draw from those.”
The more the Sixers can get the version of Bona they saw against the Pistons, the better. Tacko Fall's return to practice and Jabari Walker beginning individual workouts are a positive sign of reinforcements to come, but Bona is the obvious swing talent in this case.
In small doses, LeBron at the five can give Nurse a nice change of pace, particularly on offense. But relying on the 41-year-old forward to consistently defend opposing bigs and battle for rebounds only compounds the team's existing frontcourt concerns.
Rookie Labaron Philon continues to earn minutes for the Sixers when the team is shorthanded.
He's not a regular in the rotation yet, and consistent opportunities could be difficult to come by when Philadelphia's backcourt is healthy. Still, he's managed to impress Nurse in his limited opportunities.
Nurse was asked how the team's ever-changing availability affects Philon's usage compared to the rookie seasons of VJ Edgecombe and Jared McCain.
“Probably different for him this year, certainly than it was for VJ last year,” Nurse said. “And certainly probably for Jared the year before. I think it's harder for him to get on the floor. I always say I lean towards playing them, but not at the expense of anything else — when you've got other healthy, really good players in front. You can't just gift anybody minutes.”
Philon played four minutes against Milwaukee on Saturday night before seeing 13 minutes against the Pistons, finishing with five points, two rebounds and one assist.
“I think [Philon] played good the other night,” Nurse said. “Did he make a few rookie mistakes? Yes, he did, but he goes out there, and he fights. We talked about this last week, leading into the opening game. You were like, 'Well, what are you looking for?' I'm like, 'I'm looking for our compete level,' because I have no idea where it is, because the preseason games are so meaningless, and our compete level has been excellent, and his compete level has been really excellent, and that's a good sign.”
The sample size remains limited, but Philon's energy and competitiveness have been evident since the preseason. Earning consistent minutes in a crowded backcourt will be difficult, but continuing to make the most of his opportunities is the best way for the rookie to build Nurse's trust.
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