Key Sixers to be ‘Monitored’ After Utah Jazz Matchup

Nick Nurse could soon begin monitoring key players' minutes.

Feb 24, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse looks on during the third quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

As the Philadelphia 76ers prepared for their Sunday night matchup against the Utah Jazz, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse suggested that he would be “monitoring” minutes for certain players moving forward.

With the Sixers being undermanned, missing more than just Joel Embiid lately, the team has relied a lot on the key veterans Guerschon Yabusele, Kelly Oubre, and Quentin Grimes.

Nurse made it clear he doesn’t want to overwork those guys. The Sixers are likely looking to avoid any fatigue or further setbacks for the team as they navigate through an injury-filled campaign.

via @SixersAdam: Nick Nurse says he’ll be monitoring the minutes of Guerschon Yabusele, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes moving forward. Doesn’t want to be pushing those guys too far every night.

Nick Nurse says he’ll be monitoring the minutes of Guerschon Yabusele, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes moving forward. Doesn’t want to be pushing those guys too far every night.
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) March 9, 2025

Yabusele’s first run with the Sixers featured an impressive comeback season for the veteran forward. In 58 games leading up to Sunday’s action, Yabusele averaged 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists. He’s been shooting 51 percent from the field.

Beyond Yabusele, the Sixers have relied a lot on Kelly Oubre and the trade acquisition of Quentin Grimes. In 58 games, Oubre is seeing the court for a career-high 35 minutes per game. Since the start of January, Oubre has crossed the 40-minute mark on seven occasions and came close to it many other times.

As for Grimes, he’s been averaging 33 minutes of action since landing in Philadelphia. Through the first four games of March, Grimes has averaged 37 minutes.

The idea of monitoring Grimes, Yabusele, and Oubre might come off as a tactic to limit players to potentially better the team’s chances of landing their first-round pick, but the Sixers have suggested that battling for the Play-In is the plan, no matter how much they’ve struggled lately.

With the team missing a handful of key players lately, it’s in the Sixers’ best interest to help players avoid major fatigue and injury, no matter what the direction of the team is at this time.

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