Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse already has LeBron James' approval when it comes to the defensive philosophy he hopes can help turn the team's star-studded roster into a championship contender.
As James prepares for his first season in Philadelphia, the 41-year-old discussed Nurse's defensive approach on the latest episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast with co-host Steve Nash. James believes the foundation for a strong defense starts with individual pride before extending to the entire team.
“I've been able to be on some really good defensive teams in my career, and defense always comes down to the first thing: pride. It's a pride thing. I'm not going to allow my guy to continue to exploit me or beat me or whatever the case may be. There has to be some pride.”
James acknowledged that even elite defenses cannot completely shut down the NBA's best offenses. Instead, he wants Philadelphia to disrupt opponents, create turnovers and generate additional possessions.
“At the end of the day, the best defense never stops the best offense anyways, and that's okay. But if we can make teams uncomfortable, if we can make teams turn the ball over, if we can make teams just not be in a rhythm like they're accustomed to being in a rhythm versus other teams, it gives us another opportunity. It gives us more possessions. We want to try to win the possession game.”
Nurse's history gives James reason to believe the strategy can work. James specifically pointed toward the Toronto Raptors team Nurse coached to the 2019 NBA championship as an example of the defensive identity Philadelphia can attempt to replicate.
“And I think with Coach Nurse, and the things that I've seen with his teams in the past, especially with the Raptors team that won a championship, that's what they did.
They got up into you, they got into the passing lane, if you got around one guy there's another guy helping [against] you… It was a lot of high-IQ guys as well to be able to do that.”
LeBron James sees championship blueprint in Nick Nurse's defense
The 76ers have the personnel to build an aggressive defense around Nurse's principles. Joel Embiid provides an imposing presence inside, while Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe give Philadelphia athletic perimeter defenders.
James recently said Edgecombe could contend for an All-Defensive team in his second season, pointing toward his athleticism, length and speed. He also expects Brown to set the tone defensively and provide Edgecombe with a veteran example.
For James, however, Philadelphia's physical tools will only matter if the team plays with discipline and accountability.
“And I'm looking forward to seeing if we can kind of translate a little bit of that as well. Because we have the speed, we have the athleticism, now it's about, do we have the discipline to actually be able to take that on the defensive end and hold each other accountable, too?”
James then outlined several priorities, including forcing contested 2-pointers, preventing straight-line drives and limiting corner 3-pointers. He also emphasized finishing possessions on the glass.
“As fast, athletic as we can be, we can't do sh*t if we don't get the rebound. So that's important.”
James has covered several aspects of his new chapter in Philadelphia during the podcast, including the factors behind his decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers. He also discussed his ongoing battle with Father Time entering a historic 24th season and praised Edgecombe as “beyond his years.”
With another championship at the center of James' move to Philadelphia, Nurse's defensive philosophy appears to have an important supporter before training camp even begins.