NBA analyst shakes up 76ers' anticipated starting five with bold claim

The Philadelphia 76ers were expected to roll out a starting backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr., but it seems that's not set in stone.

Oubre, who stands at 6-foot-8, is seemingly not solidified as their shooting guard. Instead, star Paul George, who is also 6-foot-8, is expected to start in the backcourt next to Maxey, according to The Athletic's Tony Jones.

"Maxey and George figure to be the starting backcourt," Jones wrote. "Veterans Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon should be the first guards off the bench."

The greatest physical difference between Oubre and George is weight. ESPN lists Oubre at 203 pounds while George is marked almost 20 pounds greater (220). Both are respectable shooters from the outside, but the former Los Angeles Clipper did knock down nearly 10% more shots from three-point range last season.

If George does start in the backcourt, it begs the question of what the forward room will look like.

Starting George at the two-guard could simply shift Oubre to the small forward, but is that the more logical approach considering George is of greater size? Some were even speculating George could play power forward, considering he's also bigger than Caleb Martin.

It's even possible Oubre or Martin fall out of the starting lineup entirely if Olympics standout Guerschon Yabusele impresses the coaching staff enough. He's a strong body in the paint, which coach Nick Nurse and the Sixers could desire to start games.

Here are three of the most likely starting lineups for the Sixers if George plays shooting guard:

#1: Maxey, George, Oubre, Martin, Joel Embiid

#2: Maxey, George, Oubre, Yabusele, Embiid

#3: Maxey, George, Martin, Yabusele, Embiid

The large majority of fans still expect Oubre to start at shooting guard, even following Jones' report.

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