How Guerschon Yabusele benefited from 76ers' Kyle Lowry-Reggie Jackson pairing
01/04/2025 10:22 PM
NEW YORK — Guerschon Yabusele’s latest start came alongside Joel Embiid in a rousing Philadelphia 76ers win over the Brooklyn Nets. But the main reason why he started was not necessarily his ability level but those of two of his teammates.
Nick Nurse certainly values what he can do, especially next to the team’s three stars, but starting Yabusele was a way of making it easier to deploy his preferred bench unit. Amid Kelly Oubre Jr’s hand injury, Kyle Lowry was the guy filling in for him. In Brooklyn, Nurse decided to go with Yabusele instead, marking the 76ers’ 20th unique starting lineup and one of its very biggest.
Nurse put Lowry back on the bench, he explained after the 123-94 win, to make it easier to play him next to Reggie Jackson.
Nick Nurse said he went to Guerschon Yabusele to start so that Kyle Lowry and Reggie Jackson could come in together when Tyrese Maxey rests pic.twitter.com/keR0OOd0IW
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) January 5, 2025
It hardly mattered who the fifth starter was against a tanking, injury-riddled Nets team but Yabusele did a fine job despite shooting 1-4 in the victory. He made the most of his lone basket on the evening, throwing down a slam that excited the bench.
Nick Nurse explains preference to play Kyle Lowry, Reggie Jackson together
When Tyrese Maxey hits the bench, the Sixers need someone to handle the ball and set up the offense. It’s a role that guys like Paul George and Caleb Martin are capable of doing but preferably not for long stretches of the game. Lowry and Jackson have struggled individually but Nurse sees value in having them help each other.
"It gives ’em a chance to work together as far as bringing the ball up," Nurse said. "Seems like maybe there’s one that doesn’t get as much pressure or the other one doesn’t, so we can get the ball up and get into our stuff. They’re pretty interchangeable…Ijustthought it was a good way of letting them play an extended stint rather than one of ’em goes in and things don’t go well and it turns into a three- or four-minutestintthat’s, that’s not anyfunfor either one of ’em."
The heavy reliance on Lowry and Jackson to be a point guard by committee is a result of Jared McCain’s meniscus injury. The promising rookie’s absence leaves the 76ers with a huge hole in their offense. Even if he can't read the floor like one of his veteran teammates, he found his own way to generate good looks for himself and his teammates.
The 76ers could go a lot of different ways at the trade deadline but one of them could be upgrading their backup guard spot, especially if McCain’s injury sidelines him through the rest of the season. For the time being, Lowry and Jackson will co-pilot Philly’s second unit.
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