We haven’t completely left “small sample size” territory this NBA season, so every statistic should still be taken with a grain of salt. Still, the Sixers have a net rating of plus-28.0 in the 87 minutes that Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. have played. were on the field together. With the center position being so volatile from night to night, it’s really promising for the Sixers to have a four-player lineup combo that can seemingly succeed regardless of who joins the five.
One of the biggest stories of the Sixers offseason was Quentin Grimes’ role in this backcourt following the addition of VJ Edgecombe. Well, it looks like Nick Nurse answers that question by simply playing all three of his best guards against each other at the same time.
Maybe if Jared McCain gets healthy, he can roll out a four-guard lineup with Oubre at the five. I’m kidding – sort of. Meanwhile, the lack of size this group brings hasn’t come back to haunt them at all. The speed, hitting and athleticism of the platoon more than compensated for any shortcomings.
Sixers run a three-guard lineup to perfection
A lack of size is the biggest potential drawback to this lineup, and even with the success it has had, the defensive recovery rate it produces would be the worst in NBA history. So there are a few numbers that indicate this combo may not be usable for long periods of time. Additionally, it’s safe to assume that the elite defensive rating this group has produced (93.8) will increase when opponents counter this small-ball lineup with size.
Still, the offensive upside could remain high enough that this combo remains a Nick Nurse favorite all season, and this lineup plus Joel Embiid could actually have enough versatility and paint protection (assuming, perhaps foolishly, that Embiid can become a true paint stopper again) to meet that goal.
Plus, any lineup that puts up such an impressive net rating with a rookie guard in the mix is ​​pretty crazy. In fact, the three-guard lineup could help Edgecombe’s adjustment to the league. Playing alongside other defensive weapons as dangerous as Maxey and Grimes makes his life as the “other guy” quite easy. And Edgecombe might be the best other man in the league right now.
On their own, none of these four Sixers surprise anyone with their impressive early play (except Edgecombe, who’s more impressive for a rookie). But as a four-man unit I don’t think anyone expected them to be world beaters, but that’s what we’ve seen so far. A season of Cheerful surprises for the Sixers? Count me in!
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