CAMDEN, NJ – Paul George interrupted the spherical of questions with a smile.
It was identified through the 76ers’ media day on Monday that George, who signed a brand new three-year free agent contract, is 34 years outdated, identical to Reggie Jackson. Eric Gordon is 35 years outdated, Kyle Lowry 38 years outdated.
“We’re outdated,” George mentioned. “I perceive.”
This summer season introduced an overhaul of the 76ers, a digital contractual clean slate after final 12 months’s early exit to remake the workforce as Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse noticed match, round Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. With none express assertion of desirous to win now, the trades had been involving sufficient.
As a substitute of chasing bargains and upside prospects that may match the 76ers’ wage cap restrictions, the membership discovered gamers with pedigree to encompass its stars.
Meaning 5 gamers with 10 or extra years of NBA service, together with 12-year veteran Andre Drummond. Meaning two gamers (Lowry and Jackson) who’ve received NBA titles and three who’ve received Olympic gold medals (George and Lowry in 2016, Embiid in 2024).
“These guys have championship pedigree, championship expertise,” Maxey mentioned. “We’ll want it. We’ll want them to make use of their voice, play and present management.
There was, not less than on the primary day, a noticeable distinction within the rhetoric on totally different campuses. Embiid and Maxey made no statements about their expectations, no feedback of victory or failure, no pontificating about it being this 12 months, past Embiid stating his apparent lack of well being in latest playoffs playoffs and making it his fundamental objective.
The brand new arrivals – maybe as a result of they’re too outdated to care, maybe as a result of it’s implicit of their company to decide on new groups – had no such qualms.
“I got here right here to win the championship, and that’s the one objective I’ve,” Gordon mentioned. “And I believe this workforce is able to doing that. Now we have a whole lot of new guys on this workforce. So the chemistry goes to be large. Chemistry, well being, as soon as the whole lot is nice, I believe we will take our probabilities.
“I hope we’re top-of-the-line groups within the NBA, high three within the East, for positive,” George mentioned. “I believe we must always have the ability to compete for a championship.”
Veterans will not be a monolith. Jackson and Lowry have rings; the opposite three don’t. George will begin. Jackson, Gordon and Drummond will anchor a second unit that was an enormous space of weak spot final 12 months.
Most have earlier connections that introduced them right here. Lowry, signed final season after a buyout to lastly return to his hometown, goes again a great distance with Nurse, champions collectively in Toronto. Gordon felt comfy with Morey from his time in Houston. That is his fourth workforce for the reason that begin of the 2022-23 season and the Indianapolis native’s first look within the Jap Convention.
“It’s simpler to navigate,” Gordon mentioned. “You understand your function and your path to who you’re on the workforce. And so so long as I can be myself on the workforce, the whole lot goes properly.
Drummond performed in 49 video games for the 76ers in 2021-22 earlier than being collateral injury within the Ben Simmons saga, shipped off to Brooklyn so the Sixers may do away with the runaway star. He and Jackson have been shut for six seasons collectively in Detroit.
“It’s like driving a motorcycle,” Jackson mentioned. “So that you may fall each every now and then, however you get it again fairly shortly. »
“Jack and I are inseparable,” Drummond mentioned. “Now we have been like this from the day he arrived in Detroit till in the present day. We saved a relationship, though we had been taking part in for different groups, and him coming right here to Philly might be top-of-the-line issues that might have occurred, simply when it comes to being a backup level guard, for me leaving the bench. , then have a well-known chief to play with. That is going to be very harmful on this decide and roll.
Gordon averaged 11 factors per recreation final 12 months, principally off the bench, for Phoenix. Jackson averaged 10.2 in Denver, having been a part of the 2023 championship Nuggets. Two of the most effective second unit scorers within the league, the chances of this unit are spectacular, particularly in relieving Maxey and Embiid.
Possibly George is correct that they’re outdated. However that does not make them the identical. Gordon and Drummond expressed their starvation to win on Monday. Jackson and Lowry know find out how to do it.
There will probably be a steadiness to seek out between expertise and youth all through a season. However the Sixers suppose they’ll see outcomes early on.
“I believe we’ve combine right here,” George mentioned. “Now we have the veterans that know find out how to win when it counts, however then we’ve the fellows that get us to that time the place we will type of depart our mark, whether or not it is late within the recreation or late within the season. So I believe it is nearly having that steadiness.
Contact Matthew De George at [email protected]
