Have the Sixers done enough to fix their defensive rebounding problem? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The 2024-25 season Sixers will start training camp on October 1st in the Bahamas.
As we approach this date, we will be covering several important topics for the team in Nick Nurse’s second season as head coach.
First, we looked at what the Sixers can count on this season.
Next up: Have the Sixers done enough to fix their defensive rebounding problem?
The most optimistic approach to this issue must begin with Andre Drummond.
By any standard, he has long been a historically elite rebounder. And while Drummond will (once again) play behind the seven-time All-Star Joel EmbiidHe has a history of posting huge rebounding numbers in his reserve minutes. He averaged 9.0 rebounds last season with the Bulls in 17.1 minutes per game.
“I think that’s why I’m here: to eliminate a lot of these problems,” Drummond said in July. “I’m happy to be valued in that sense, to have the big picture. Not just to be here for the season, but to see my skills for the playoffs. I’m looking forward to it.”
What about the Sixers’ other summer signings?
This is not his business card, but Paul George has always been a good defensive rebounder. By Cleaning the window, Caleb Martin has been slightly above league average among NBA forwards over the past two seasons in defensive rebounding rate on missed baskets.
Guershon Yabusele is a big, strong, physical winger and Ricky IV Council is a strong, explosive player who generally rebounded well as a rookie. We’ll see how the roles and minutes shake out for the Sixers’ bench, but it would be a bit surprising if defensive rebounding was a weakness for either Yabusele or Council.
As for the pessimistic side… the veteran guards Eric Gordon And Reggie Jackson don’t tend to add much on the defensive glass. Health permitting, Tyrese Maxey will likely be the Sixers’ best player in terms of minutes per game (he averaged 44.5 minutes in the last playoffs) and the 23-year-old is a 6-foot-2 point guard who should sometimes value leaks for potential fast breaks over sincere defensive rebounding efforts.
Beyond personnel, there are also stylistic and schematic factors to consider. Given Maxey’s open-court skills and the appeal of early-game mismatches, the Sixers should be concerned about their transition offense. They led the league in transition efficiency last season with 134.8 points per 100 transition plays. according to Glass Cleaning.
The Sixers don’t want to be outnumbered in the paint or give up uncontested rebounds on a regular basis, but every team has to make strategic tradeoffs. Increasing Maxey’s chances of running against a retreating defense seems more promising than asking him to join the paint fight for every defensive rebound.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse’s defenses won’t always be conducive to high-level rebounding. For example, The Sixers failed to rebound effectively from their own end against the Knicks in the playoffs. Any defense that prioritizes movement or changes of speed also comes with its own rebounding challenges.
Overall, defenses that force inefficient first downs (and turnovers) should still make sense for the Sixers. Still, the team ranked 26th last season in defensive rebounding rate and then allowed three Knicks to grab 20-plus offensive rebounds during a six-game stretch. Drummond should help, but the Sixers must do whatever it takes to avoid a similar story for the 2024-25 season.
