76ers Free Agent Addition Praises Nick Nurse Ahead of Preseason Debut

Guerschon Yabusele praises Nick Nurse ahead of 76ers first preseason game.

Sep 30, 2024; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) poses for a photo on media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers kicked off their preseason schedule with a friendly against the New Zealand Breakers. This matchup marked the first time that most of the team's offseason additions would debut for their new team.

For the majority of the roster, it was the start of a brand season. However, Monday meant a little more to a guy like Guerschon Yabusele. After years of playing professionally overseas, he finally got another opportunity to showcase his talents in the NBA.

The Sixers inked Yabusele to a deal following his strong run with France in the Summer Olympics. Now back in the league, he'll look to provide energy and physicality at the power forward position.

As he embarked on this new chapter of his career with the Sixers, Yabsuele had high praise for head coach Nick Nurse. Following Monday's shootaround, he shared his thoughts on his style as coach and his optimism for this upcoming season.

“His vision in the game, what he can see, what he can bring to the team, how he gives confidence to the players he's been great," Yabusele said. "I think we’re gonna have a great year together.”

Yabusele came off the bench for the Sixers against the Breakers and put together and impressive outing. He logged 16 minutes and notched 15 points and two rebounds on perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the field.

When the Sixers signed Yabusele, many expected him to play all his minutes at power forward. However, the idea of him possibly being a small-ball center is something that was tossed around during training camp. Nurse tried Yabusele at center against the Breakers, and it yielded positive results.

As a late-summer minimum signing, Yabusele was already someone many have cited as a possible X-factor for the Sixers this season. If he can bring more lineup versatility in the frontcourt, he certainly has a chance to be an interesting piece of Nurse's