What Nick Nurse Is Focused on Amid Sixers' Slide

As Nick Nurse stepped to the podium for his pregame media availability on Tuesday, the Sixers ruled rookie VJ Edgecombe 'available' for Philadelphia's game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Edgecombe had not played since the first half of last week's loss to the San Antonio Spurs after suffering a lumbar contusion on an awkward landing at the end of the second quarter of that game.

He will not have a minutes restriction in his return.

"Obviously play the primary ballhandling position, good chance for him to get a lot of reps at that spot," Nurse told reporters.

In Nurse's eyes, that opportunity is a good test to see Edgecombe's progress with the responsibilities of that position. But, looking at the more immediate horizon, Nurse envisions times when he'll look to Edgecombe to be the primary initiator.

"So we can get Tyrese and Paul [George] and [Quentin Grimes], some of those guys flying around off some screens as well when the pick-and-roll game gets a little stickier," Nurse explained.

"I think he's the guy to do that. I think he reads the floor well. He'll make the right reads on what's open and what isn't. This should help him get to some of that stuff, too. Just get more comfortable. Just needs the time there."

Of course, that opportunity comes as Tyrese Maxey is sidelined with a sprained right fifth finger.

The matchup with Memphis will mark the second consecutive game Maxey has missed after suffering the injury late in Saturday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

As of pregame, Nurse couldn't offer an update on the findings of Maxey's meetings with hand specialists. Perhaps because, as of this writing, those conversations are apparently still ongoing.

"He has met with a couple. I don't have [an update] right now. But, as I understand it, we will have something postgame. They're talking right now on everything and what it looks like," Nurse offered.

If you think it's ominous that multiple consultations are needed for a sprained finger, you aren't alone.

Nurse certainly understands the predicament the Sixers are in.

They are slipping in the standings with each passing day. A berth in the Play-In tournament for the right to face the Boston Celtics or Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs looks increasingly likely.

But he's not the type to panic. "I don't think panic can help anybody. Reality is where we got to be. Reality is we are missing a bunch of our key players. What does that mean? That means we got to replace them with who's up next," he said.

If the Sixers are going to go down short-handed, he wants his group to go down swinging as hard as they possibly can.

"We got to go out there and play absolutely as hard as we can. Try to generate good things on offense. Again, I think playing really hard will take care of some loose balls and some rebounding and creating some turnovers and things like that," Nurse said.

The head coach likes some of the shots the team is generating. It's as simple as making more of them.

Nurse's emphasis is on valuing possessions.

To him, that's how what's left of the Sixers is going to give themselves a chance to win.

"We're going to have to stop with the somewhat-unforced, careless turnovers. There's not a ton. If you look at the numbers at the end of the game, there's not a ton of them there. But they're possessions we can't afford to give away right now," Nurse explained.

While it wasn't the case earlier in the season, Andre Drummond's three-point attempts have equated to possessions given away lately.

From the sounds of it, Nurse agrees.

"I talked to him the other day, I'd say after a couple, if he hasn't hit one of the first two, then he probably better move it. Which he kind of did last night a little bit," Nurse said.

It's not a green light. But Nurse feels the veteran big has proven he can make them. But instead of shooting with reckless abandon, he wants Drummond to test the waters. If the shot is falling, that's a license to consider taking a few more of them.

"If he gets to the corners and something happens and it gets kicked out to him and there's no closeout or no contest, he's going to shoot those," Nurse said.

As for the Sixers' primary center, Joel Embiid remains on track to be re-evaluated later this week. Just look at Philadelphia's recent box scores. It's no secret the Sixers desperately need his oblique to heal. And soon.