The Sixers’ roster did get a bit older this offseason, but the players believe there is a perfect blend of veterans and youth.
Something that quickly became a theme during the Sixers’ 2024 media day, both between reporters and players, was that this team is kind of old.
When a question to Paul George ran down the ages of himself, Kyle Lowry, Reggie Jackson, and several other additions to the roster, George jokingly cut it off, saying, “We’re old, I get it.”
Strictly speaking, he’s not wrong either. The average age of the Sixers’ roster is 28.2 years old, according to RealGm.com. Only the Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers are older.
From how head coach Nick Nurse talked about this experience, it sounds like it was built by design. When running down a list of needs he thought the team addressed in the offseason, experience was something Nurse listed multiple times.
“We just kept plugging things we need — backup center, experience,” he said, “depth, wings, really good players, all those kind of things.”
As a side note, it is relieving to hear that “really good players” were finally put on the list of needs for this Sixers’ roster.
There are so many new veterans on this roster that Tyrese Maxey has tiered exactly what level of experience they have.
“Reggie Jackson, [Eric Gordon], they’re not old. Kyle Lowry’s old,” he explained. “They’re not just veterans. but they’re seasoned vets. RJ has been on a championship team, EG has been very close. Kyle Lowry has led a championship team.”
Maxey did seem to play fast and loose with what actually counts as old when talking about his own experience. “I’m getting old, honestly. I’m 23 years old, so I’m like ancient at this point, right?”
He joked that Jared McCain tried to call him “vet” and “O.G.” and he had to shut that down right away.
On a serious note, the amount of experience does seem to be something this squad thinks they can lean on when they get to meaningful basketball games late in the season.
”We got a good mix of veterans and young guys,” Lowry said, a sentiment shared by several others on the team.
“I think that we all have aged well,” George said. “I still feel youthful, I still feel young, and I still feel I can play at a high level.”
He went on to explain that while the experience they have will be useful in high-leverage moments, the youth on the team will have to contribute as well.
“I think the beauty in it is having the youth around us in [Kelly Oubre Jr.], Caleb Martin, Tyrese. You need those engines as well, you need those young legs as well,” he said.
It sounds like George is counting on this team to be the Goldilocks of roster construction.
“I think you can’t have too many on the older spectrum, and teams aren’t ready to win on the younger spectrum,” he said, “so I think we’re kind of right in the middle of where you need to be to compete for a championship.”
It’s important to note that it’s not just a bunch of players who happen to be old. There are two former champions in Lowry and Jackson and several deep playoff runs in the locker room, as Maxey pointed out.
“Those guys have championship pedigree, championship experience, and we’re gonna need them,” Maxey said. “We’re gonna need their voice, gonna need their play, and gonna need their leadership.”
Crucially though, none of that “championship pedigree” comes from their big three of George, Maxey and Joel Embiid. It will be up to the core of this team to change that.