To what extent will Nick Nurse rely on the Sixers’ older players in 2024-25?

How Much Will Nick Nurse Lean on the Sixers’ Older Players in 2024-25? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The 2024-25 Sixers will begin training camp on October 1 in the Bahamas.

As that date approaches, we’ll be diving deeper into several important topics for the team. Nick Nurse’s second season as head coach.

So far we have looked at what the Sixers can count on this season and whether the team has done enough to address the defensive rebounding problem.

Next time: How much will Nurse rely on his older players?

Nurse has shown over the years that he loves to go to his boys.

During Nurse’s tenure as Raptors head coach, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam became regulars on the NBA minutes-per-game leaderboard. Tyrese Maxey averaged 37.5 minutes last regular season, en route to a Most Player Improved award. When he’s unsure about rotation decisions, Nurse has often turned to one of his most trusted players or kept his stars on the court for extended, key stretches.

In 2019-20, Kyle Lowry ranked fourth in the NBA with 36.2 minutes per game. While Nurse still has a fondness for the six-time All-Star guard, that number will clearly be much lower in 2024-25. He knows what it takes to keep the Sixers’ veterans healthy through the season.

“I think that’s definitely got to be part of the plan. … Lowry, (Eric) Gordon … it’s going to take some management of those guys as they get older,” Nurse said July 23. “Most of that comes from what you do on a day-to-day basis — training camp, practices, travel.

“Medical and front office and everybody will be working closely together. … I think everybody is probably on the same page. I think we want to get to the playoffs managing health.”

With De’Anthony Melton rarely available because of a back injury, Nurse started Lowry last year and had him play 29.2 minutes per game in the postseason. The Sixers signed a versatile starting forward in Caleb Martin this summer and acquired two highly experienced guards in Gordon and Reggie Jackson. They also drafted combo guard Jared McCain. Regardless of the 38-year-old Lowry’s level of play, the Sixers shouldn’t need much from him.

Nurse may still have nights where he’s drawn to big Lowry minutes. And he understands that Lowry doesn’t come out of the park so easily these days.

“It’s not great to have him sit that long and then bring him back like that,” Nurse said after a March 10 win over the Knicks in which Lowry returned in the fourth quarter and made a timely 3-pointer. “He really revs his engine, and when he shuts it off, it’s hard to get him going again.”

Along with Jackson (34 years old) and Gordon (35), Paul George is the other Sixer in his mid-thirties.

Last season was the 34-year-old George’s healthiest since 2018-19 — no long-term injuries, 74 games played, available through the playoffs. He knows full well that health is paramount for stars like himself and Joel Embiid as well as relatively “old” guys like Lowry.

When asked during his press conference what the keys were to getting the Sixers past the second round of the playoffs, George started simply.

“I think it’s just important for us to finish healthy,” he said.