Bad Process: Dreadful 76ers start could put Nick Nurse on the hot seat

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse has undoubtedly been dealt a bad hand to start the 2024-25 NBA campaign. However, he hasn't necessarily helped matters or put his team in positions to succeed.

Prized offseason acquisition and nine-time All-Star wing Paul George has struggled in the early goings. But more notably, he and Philadelphia's new-formed "Big 3" have yet to play together this. While it's put Nurse in a bad spot, the advanced metrics show his coaching tactics have the Sixers' already-uphill battle even steeper.

It hasn't been pretty for the Sixers. They rank 29th in effective field goal percentage (49.3), 28th in rebound rate (46.4 percent) and 27th in pace (97.27). And to top it all off, they're dead last in offensive rating (105.7) — yeesh.

Call it unfair, but Philly's shortcomings may land Nurse squarely on the hot seat. The Association is a results-driven business, and they've failed to do so. Naturally, heads could begin to roll — starting with the sideline chief.

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Bad Process: Dreadful 76ers start could put Nick Nurse on the hot seat

Sitting at 2-10, the 76ers are 14th in the Eastern Conference standings. That's incredibly disappointing, especially considering they invested heavily in the current construct of their roster, signing George and exceeding the first apron.

The 76ers were considered on the shortlist of title contenders in the East by many entering the season. Saying they've fallen short of those expectations would be a massive understatement. With that in mind, Nurse's time to dig them and himself out of this hole might run out sooner than he'd like.

Nevertheless, if there's any silver lining or saving grace for Nurse, it's his faith in rookie combo guard Jared McCain. The 2024 No. 16 overall selection has been a godsend, looking like a legitimate long-term franchise building block.

As Nurse and the Sixers try to overcome unfavorable circumstances, the sledding's been tough. They've regularly had to combat missing one or multiple members of their star trio of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.