PHILADELPHIA -- When assessing the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the 2026-27 season, one could assume that the team's offense would be ahead of their defense due to the talent on the roster. When considering the presence of the likes of LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe, it's safe to make that assumption.
However, four games into the season, the Sixers have been phenomenal on the defensive end as they rank No. 5 in the league in defensive rating and 28th in offensive rating. Yes, small sample size. 78 games to go and all that stuff, but it's interesting to see the defense so stout at the moment.
"Well, I think it's kind of normal, right?" said coach Nick Nurse after Sunday's 106-93 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
"I think it's kind of normal that defense starts out ahead early in the season. And again, I think we’ve just got to get a little bit better feel for each other out there."
To Nurse's point, it can be easier to play defense as a new group because it mostly comes down to effort and having an understanding of when to rotate and how the team wants to play on that end. In terms of the offense, it can take time as players need to develop real cohesion and know where players are going to be, where they want the ball, and how things are going to flow.
Throwing in consideration for the opponent on Sunday, the Pistons are one of the more physical and better defensive teams in the league, which leads to offensive struggles.
"Again, I'm just going to go back to it again: I just didn't think we were nearly as – our execution as far as getting to the right spots, doing things with pace, making correct reads tonight (Sunday), was difficult," Nurse added. "I've probably talked (after) a couple of games this week where the ball went where we needed it to go and all those kinds of things. So there has been a little bit of up and down with that, I think. And listen, give them credit. They're a really good, super, super physical defensive team. So it's going to be more difficult."
The best offense for the Sixers thus far has been them getting stops and immediately pushing the ball in transition. It's important for Philadelphia to kick ahead and get out and run until the half-court offensive execution can catch up. The Sixers didn't have many of those chances against the Pistons on Sunday.
"I think, again, they got us forced into some of that," Nurse finished. "I thought we had some advance passes. I thought we had some pocket passes that would have kind of made the offense more fluid, right? For whatever reason, we just didn't quite make them tonight. But I wouldn't say, again, I think for the most part, the intent of making the right play and passing ahead and throwing to the next action, etc., has been excellent."
The Sixers will have two days off before they hit the road to take on the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Coach Nick Nurse evaluates why defense is ahead of offense for Sixers
