Sixers takeaways: Nick Nurse’s offense takes a step back; Jared McCain will be just fine despite sluggish play; and more

The 76ers must realize they have much more than a two-man game at their disposal. Despite that oversight, Tyrese Maxey keeps showing he’s the new face of the team. And Jared McCain will be an asset once he gets reacclimated.

Those three things stood out Tuesday night in the Sixers’ 113-111 loss to the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.

The Sixers (5-2) are blessed with a plethora of offensive weapons. That’s why coach Nick Nurse has employed a free-flowing, pass-happy style of play this season.

But you wouldn’t have known that late in the showdown with the first-place Bulls (6-1). The Sixers relied heavily on Maxey and Joel Embiid, either in the two-man game or going one-on-one against the Eastern Conference foe. The problem was that neither player could get anything going down the stretch.

Maxey finished with a game-high 39 points. However, he had eight points on 2-for-8 shooting in the fourth quarter. Embiid was worse, being held scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting in the quarter. And that came after he scored two points on 1-for-5 shooting in the third period. Embiid finished with 20 points on 7-for-21 shooting.

In addition to his offensive woes, Embiid gave up the game-winning three-pointer to Nikola Vučević. The Sixer stopped guarding the Bulls center on the perimeter to apply help defense underneath the basket. The ball swung to Vučević, who buried a 24-footer over Quentin Grimes’ outstretched arm to give Chicago a 113-111 lead with 3.2 seconds left. It was the Bulls’ only lead of the game after trailing by 24 points.

» READ MORE: Sixers mailbag: Joel Embiid’s defense and limitations, Paul George’s expected role, and more

In addition to cutting down on defensive lapses, the Sixers must realize they have too many weapons to constantly play through two players when things aren’t going their way. They must maximize everyone’s talent and move the ball.

The Sixers missed their final 11 shots of the game.

Embiid will be remembered as one of the best players in Sixers history. The 7-foot-2 center, the 2023 MVP, is a seven-time All-Star and possibly a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

But through this season’s first seven games, this has been Maxey’s team. He’s the vocal leader and most impactful player on the floor. The team basically goes as he goes. And that was, once again, evident against the Bulls.

On his 25th birthday, Maxey set the tone by hitting 4 of 6 three-point attempts in the first quarter en route to scoring 12 points in the period. Following his lead, the Sixers made 8 of 11 three-pointers in the quarter while outscoring the Bulls, 45-27, in their best quarter of the season.

Maxey finished with six three-pointers. It was his fourth game this season with at least 39 points.

And while he could have made better decisions down the stretch, Maxey is having a historic season. His 202 points heading into the game were the most all-time by a Sixer through the team’s first six games of a season.

As expected, McCain was rusty during his first game since he suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee on Dec. 13. He was supposed to return in time for training camp, but a torn ligament in his right thumb cost him the first six games of this season.

McCain made his season debut when he checked in with 2 minutes, 52 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The second-year player didn’t have a memorable return, going 0-for-4 from the field and failing to score. He did finish with two assists and one rebound in 15 minutes. However, McCain was a little sloppy with his ball handling, which was expected as he played with a brace on his right hand.

» READ MORE: Quentin Grimes flips season of uncertainty into steady role as sixth man and Sixers closer

But just getting on the floor and working up a sweat on this night was a bonus for him and the Sixers.

Once he finds his rhythm, the Sixers will benefit from his efficient scoring in the pick-and-roll, a category in which he was one of the league’s top players as a rookie. McCain is crafty and patient when he maneuvers to the basket. That will be an asset for the Sixers in the future.

His ability to shoot the ball also makes defenders respect him on the perimeter. But McCain has the quickness and power to blow past them and the ability to dribble the ball, pass it to a teammate, and score a catch-and-shoot three-pointer.

McCain is much more than a shooter. He plays with aggression from the guard position and is a constant mover. Once he finds his groove, the Sixers guard tandem of Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Grimes, and McCain will be hard to stop.