76ers keep finding ways to make their nightmare season worse

The Philadelphia 76ers finally welcomed Paul George back to the lineup on Saturday after his second injury stint of the regular season related to a bone bruise in his left knee. It comes in a game with unexpected postseason implications, as the Sixers try to gain a game on the Tobias Harris-led Detroit Pistons. Because folks, that is where we are now.

At 3-14, the Sixers own the second-worst record in the NBA. It's hard to pin the blame on a single player or coach, but Nick Nurse has certainly been subject to the disdain of an anxious fanbase. The Sixers just aren't executing anything right now. It's hard when your stars are constantly hurt and there are countless off-court controversies enveloping the team, but Philadelphia's lack of creativity on offense or connectivity on defense has stood out.

Nurse's job is safe for now, but he's starting to get the Doc Rivers treatment from Sixers fans. Folks are frustrated with every substitution and personnel choice, right or wrong. There's just an inherent lack of faith that can be difficult for a coach to overcome. The fandom doesn't have the final say on whether or not Nurse survives the season, but if Philadelphia can't turn this ship around, Nurse is the most obvious scapegoat of all time.

Why? Well, for reasons like this.

Instead of benching Andre Drummond or Kelly Oubre to make room for PG's return, Nurse moved standout rookie Jared McCain back to the bench for the Detroit game.

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Nick Nurse benches Jared McCain in baffling move to welcome Paul George back to 76ers lineup

This is utterly astounding. The logic behind it is clear — McCain and Maxey are a defensive liability in the backcourt — but McCain has been a revelation in his first stint as an NBA starter. The 19-year-old put up some gaudy numbers over his last seven games in the starting lineup, leading folks to think he'd be a permanent staple, even once George, Joel Embiid, and everybody else was healthy.

It's worth noting that Reggie Jackson and Kyle Lowry are both hurt, which means the Sixers are without a backup point guard (unless Nurse wants to dip into Jeff Dowtin and the two-way contracts). So, perhaps this is a temporary shake-up to ensure that McCain can lead the offense when Tyrese Maxey sits.

That said, there's such a thing as staggering your starting guards. We've seen it with countless two-guard starting lineups around the NBA. Cleveland doesn't spend much time without at least one of Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland on the floor. This feels dangerously like Nurse taking away all the wrong lessons from Philadelphia's latest two-game skid. Sure, McCain hit a mini-rookie wall this week, but he's still far and away the Sixers' second-most important player right now with Embiid out of commission.

McCain has been the single source of joy in an otherwise miserable Sixers season. Fans are already attached to him in a way few Philadelphia athletes achieve. He has offered a pleasant respite from all the doomsaying around the organization. If he's relegated to a bench role moving forward, expect fans to get restless.

For all the viable critiques of McCain's defense, the Sixers are the NBA's 29th-ranked offense. With Embiid hurt and George in the state he's been in, Philadelphia is woefully short on viable advantage creators. McCain has proven that he can run the offense and put plays in motion. The Sixers can't shy away from him with their season in peril.