Nick Nurse Opens up on Sixers Preparation for Regular Season

Sixers coach preparing vigorously for matchup vs. Bucks

Not that their preseason schedule is wrapped up, the Philadelphia 76ers can officially begin preparing for the start of the regular season. On Thursday night, they'll begin the year with a matchup against one of the top contenders this year, the Milwaukee Bucks. 

The Bucks made a massive change this offseason when they parted ways with Jrue Holiday in exchange for Damian Lillard. Now, the Sixers are going to be the first team to face off against the NBA's newest superstar duo in regular season action. 

Following the Sixers' preseason victory over the Atlanta Hawks, head coach Nick Nurse talked about this week's game plan leading up to the matchup with Milwaukee. It starts with them going over film from the four preseason games. 

“We’re gonna study the last couple games and watch film for a little bit,” Nurse said. “We’re gonna do a pretty good study of where we think we need to kind of dig in and get better.”

Even though the Bucks made massive additions in the offseason, Nurse's preparation for them remains the same. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the biggest downhill threats in the game today. Because of this, Nurse cited transition defense as a major point of emphasis in this matchup. 

“Obviously, you’re playing Milwaukee and you always gotta understand that game starts with transition defense,” He said. “You’ve got a freight train coming at you the whole game and you gotta get ready to get your defense set up so I know that’s one thing we’ll be focusing on for sure.”

Along with preparing for this big-time matchup, the Sixers have to do it shorthanded. Despite stating he would play for the team following his trade request, James Harden has yet to suit up in a game. He's been away from the team for the past week due to personal reasons. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday morning that Harden is still not back with the Sixers. He also stated that the All-Star guard's status for Thursday's meeting with the Bucks remains uncertain. 

It is increasingly unclear whether Harden will be available to play in the Sixers opener vs. Milwaukee on Thursday, sources said. https://t.co/oRzkRhwxFL

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 23, 2023