With regular season looming, Doc Rivers hopes to implement more offense against Cavaliers

Heading into the 76ers’ preseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Doc Rivers uttered that “it’s really more about us.”

“You know, running our stuff,” the coach said. “Seeing our pace, playing a couple of different units tomorrow more than than we have because we haven’t had the ability to.”

Monday night’s game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse will mark the third of four exhibition games for the Sixers (2-0). In addition to key players receiving more playing time, you can expect the Sixers to be more locked in Monday night.

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“You know, preseason really doesn’t count, but opening night is right around the corner,” House said in reference to the Sixers’ Oct. 18 opener against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. “You just want to gear up and be ready for opening night.

“So when opening night comes, it’s stuff that you just review instead of stuff you’ve got to spend multiple hours on explaining.”

The Sixers haven’t had much time to implement their “stuff.” They prevailed, 127-108, against the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 3 at the Barclays Center without starters Joel Embiid, James Harden, and P.J. Tucker and reserve Danuel House Jr. They had their full roster in Wednesday’s 113-112 home victory over the Cavs (0-1), but both squads rested their starters and reduced the minutes of key reserves after intermission.

On Wednesday, the Sixers unveiled their starting lineup of Harden, Embiid, Tucker, Tobias Harris, and Tyrese Maxey. De’Anthony Melton and Georges Niang were the first players off the bench, followed by House and Shake Milton. Paul Reed was the only other Sixer in the first-half rotation.

“I think we have a great idea [of knowing the season-opening rotation], but I can’t tell you we’re totally settled on it to be honest with you,” Rivers said. “Through practice, and you know what we have, two more games, I think it will kind of spell itself out.”

One position of interest is backup center, a role Reed has held throughout preseason. But Rivers said Reed and Montrezl Harrell, who didn’t practice Sunday, both deserve to play. Harrell, according to the Sixers, was held out of practice with a right intercostal strain (ribs) and is listed day-to-day.

The thought is that both big men will end up playing every night. Some of their minutes will come at power forward. Tucker, the starting small forward, is also expected to see minutes as the small-ball center.

On paper, this is the deepest Sixers roster since Rivers took over during the 2020-21 season.

“You go through camp and I’m asking my coaches, ‘Who deserves to play?’” Rivers said. “They listed 10 guys, 11 guys. You know that’s not going to happen. And that’s a good problem.”

If there’s one place of improvement for the Sixers, it’s on defense. That’s a problem they would like to solve.

They struggled on defense in the first half on Wednesday, and Rivers added at Sunday’s practice that “ball pressure” is on the list.

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“Picking up the floor, putting more pressure on the ball, denying elbow catches,” he said, “so those are the things we want to do better.”

The biggest thing for the Sixers is keeping the ball in front of them. Their system breaks down when ball handlers drive by the first line of defense and weak-side defenders have to leave their assignments to help. Those will be areas to pay attention to Monday.

But this game won’t be treated like a dress rehearsal. It’ll serve as more of a barometer of where the Sixers are and who will play a lot of minutes. Rivers said starters will also play against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday at home.

Fourth-string center Charles Bassey showed promise on Sunday.

“Charles had his best practice in a long, long time,” Rivers said, “because he was blocking shots. He was active. And we complimented him on that.”

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The Sixers want to see more of that from the second-year player. He showed last season that he can fulfill that role. The team just wants him to be more consistent.

“He does it at times, and he doesn’t do it at times,” Rivers said. “He’s a big. He’s got to be a big. And that’s what we need him to do.”