The Sixers had a complicated start to the season, ravaged by injuries to Joel Embiid and Paul George and the absences of many other players. They start 2025 in eleventh place in the Eastern Conference with 13 wins for 19 defeats while everyone expected them to be at the top of the table, and Guerschon Yabusele is the only player in their squad to have played all the matches.
Passed by Boston in 2018 and 2019, the Frenchman is back in the NBA after becoming a major player for Real Madrid and the French team. In 32 games, he has already eclipsed his number of minutes played in Celtics colors and established himself at positions 4 and 5 in Nick Nurse's rotation. Yabusele plays 24 minutes per game and averages 10 points and 5 rebounds, while scoring 39% of his 3-point shots.
In addition to his statistics, the “Dancing Bear” always brings his energy. During the Sixers' defeat at Golden State, he was the only one to play with intensity but he could not prevent his team from losing a second game in a row. After the meeting, Guerschon Yabusele spoke with us about his team's renewed form, his agreement with Tyrese Maxey, and his start to the season and role for the Sixers.
In Sacramento, the day before, you miss your end of the match, and Thursday evening you miss out. How do you explain this rout?
I think it's fatigue… We're obviously back-to-back, with a match that was extremely long the day before and which required a lot of effort from us. And then we arrive there against the team which plays the most possessions, which plays a very fast game and which shoots a lot from 3-points… It was a little complicated from the start of the match. But the positive point with the NBA is that there are a lot of matches so you have to move on and concentrate on the match against Brooklyn to still finish this “road trip” with two victories in four games.
Besides the back-to-back fatigue, did you have a sort of hangover after the failed end of the match in Sacramento?
Not necessarily because we are all pros and we know how to move on. It's a new match, against another team so we arrive saying to ourselves that we have a chance of being able to come out of this match. Unfortunately, it was a bit complicated for us today against a team that needed to react. And then obviously with Steph Curry at 8/8 at 3-points, it's difficult but hey it's a match like any other. They were better in this match, and now the only goal for us is to come back strong in our next match against Brooklyn.
An effective pick-and-roll with Tyrese Maxey
Despite these two defeats, you still have 10 victories in your last 15 matches. You have obviously recovered many injured players and your major players, is this return to form simply reduced to that or are there other factors which will allow you to find your rhythm?
I think it's mainly about finding everyone's strong points, getting to know each other better, understanding each other between players because at the start of the season we had a lot of new players, myself included. So obviously, it takes time to find each other, understand how each other likes to do things, share the ball and play together.
You talk about understanding, we feel that there is good chemistry between you and Tyrese Maxey, particularly on pick & roll. What makes your two-man game so difficult for your opponents to defend?
I already make good screens so I try every time to give him space so that he can decide what to do because he is an intelligent player who is super aggressive and who is also very fast… Obviously the player who defends on me must make a decision. Either he goes out on Tyrese and in this case I'm open, or they switch and Tyrese has the advantage against the big guy… Or I can go down in the racket and play on the small guy so there are several solutions like that. That's the advantage when you have players like him who are offensively talented, it obviously opens up a lot of possibilities.
Defensively during these last 15 matches, we feel much more connected, much more regular in your intensity throughout the match. Do you put this progress down to this bond which grows game after game or has the staff implemented different tactics to help the group?
The staff obviously has a role to play but I think the biggest difference is our evolution as a team. We have to want to defend together, we have to be there to help our teammates and it's the same in attack. We have to want to share the ball, we have to support each other and you can see it on the bench. Everyone stands up to applaud, we have this energy that we transmit to each other. Whether we are in defense or attack, when we are on the pitch we must above all try to have fun together.
“We don’t have to worry… There are 50 matches left”
Tonight was only the fifth game you played with Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey. How can you build a collective, find continuity in these circumstances? Is there any concern because you have already played more than 30 matches or are you telling yourself that you still have 50 left to continue to progress?
You don't have to worry. As you say, there are 50 matches left so there is obviously time and then all the players who are there deserve their place. We can all play, we can all create, and we also have to know how to find our strengths when they are not there. Obviously they are important players but building our collective is everyone's responsibility.
Last week, you said that you didn't expect things to go this well and to get as much playing time. So, what were your expectations when you arrived in Philadelphia for training camp?
I actually had no expectations precisely because I didn't know at all how it was going to go. I was hoping to be able to play and be on the pitch to prove that I deserve my place and show everything I know and can do but it's true that when I arrive I say to myself 'we'll see how it goes' . But I arrived with a very positive state of mind and telling myself that if there is something to take I will try to take it.
Speaking of opportunities, you have also benefited from the injuries and absences of your teammates to surely have more playing time and show what you can bring to the team?
Completely, completely, we can't lie to ourselves about that. The fact that there are injuries, the fact that on the inside positions there are players who were not there, it gave me a lot of opportunities to be on the field, to be on the also on the pitch for longer from the start of the season so obviously that helped me a lot.
Did you expect to play as much as a 5 when you signed this summer?
No, when I signed I was really told about position 4, which is obviously my position. And then when you look at our workforce, the other positions 4 are normally more positions 3 so people talked to me a lot about position 4. But hey, life meant that there were problems at position 5 so I had to help a little and play 5 but otherwise it's true that when I arrived I expected to play exclusively on position 4.
“I don’t worry too much about whether I’m starting or if I’m on the bench”
We saw you change the match in particular with your speed against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs when Nick Nurse launched you in 5 a few days ago. Do you like playing this position 5 or do you take it more as a necessity to help the team?
Well I adapt… I don't really have a preference even if as I said my usual position is 4. But when I have to play 5, I simply try to read what the game gives me and like you said it, I inevitably manage to play on my speed and find something else. Generally, the pivots don't come out too much at 3-points so that gives me opportunities to have a lot more 3-point shots and be confident with my shooting. So I would say that I perhaps have more advantages and opportunities in position 5. So, I like to play both, and if I have to play 5, I help out.
You play 4, you play 5, you started games like in Sacramento, or you come off the bench. How do you approach this uncertainty about what the coach asks you to do match after match?
I just tell myself that you always have to be ready. I come in saying to myself that it doesn't matter if I'm a starter or if I start on the bench I have to be ready and I just try to control the things that I can control. So I can control my energy, I can control being ready for whatever scenario and that's it. I don't worry too much about whether I'm starting or if I'm on the bench. I arrive at the room and I say to myself I'm going to play. There are matches where I play a little less, there are matches where I play a lot but the mentality remains the same.
It's been five years since you last played in the NBA. Are there any differences in style of play and speed that surprised you compared to what you experienced when you were in Boston? ?
Of course, of course. It goes much faster, I have the impression that there are more possessions, it's also physical. The thing that really shocked me the most was the speed. It's really a game that evolves every year but it's really going very, very quickly.
Your year 2024 was quite successful, what can we wish you for this new year?
Health! Health above all, no injuries. Stay in shape and then try to continue to win lots of things and then… the best part is everything!
Comments collected in San Francisco.
