INDIANAPOLIS — We understand why some would say that the 76ers kind of look like the 2019 NBA champions Toronto Raptors.

But when you really break down the situations, the teams are different.

Of course, the Sixers have their best player, Joel Embiidout of some games this regular season with the hope that he will be healthy in the postseason. The Raptors did the same thing with their best player, Kawhi Leonard, that season.

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Leonard missed back-to-back and other occasional games to rest while recovering from a lingering quadriceps injury that limited him to nine games during the 2017-18 season with the San Antonio Spurs. The Raptors’ load management plan worked and led them to their only title.

The small forward averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 24 games during the 2019 playoffs. He was named Finals MVP for the second time in his career.

Six seasons later, the Sixers plan to follow a similar approach with Embiid. This led to Nick Nursewho coached the 2019 title-winning Raptors team, is constantly asked if there are any parallels to the situations.

“I think there’s a little bit (of similarity),” said Nurse, who is in his second season as Sixers coach. “I think with Kawhi it was a little different. I don’t think we knew at all until the first game where he was going to be because he hadn’t played in so long.

“He was obviously ready. He had a great training camp and we knew he was ready to go. … But I think we weren’t going to play back to back until December, if I remember correctly, that was our original plan.

The Raptors extended that deadline because the team was playing well and didn’t need him every night.

“I also have an idea of ​​what we are doing,” the nurse said. “But I think the way he reacts and the way things happen is always fluid, so I hope some of that will be helpful.

The problem is that the Sixers collectively aren’t as talented as the 2018-19 Raptors, who went 17-5 in the games Leonard missed.

Meanwhile, Embiid and Paul GeorgesThe under-aged Sixers are 0-2 entering Sunday’s game against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

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They have just suffered an uninteresting defeat 115-107 On Friday night, the Raptors team will play without RJ Barrett (AC joint sprain in right shoulder), Bruce Brown (arthroscopic surgery on right knee), Kelly Olynyk (back sprain), Immanuel Quickley (right pelvic bruise) and Ja ‘ Kobe Walter (right AC joint sprain).

It’s easy to blame the Sixers’ loss without their two perennial All-Stars. But let’s be honest. They still should have defeated this rebuilding Toronto team whether Embiid (recovering from left knee injury) and George (left knee bone bruise) played or not.

“They dominated us,” Nurse said. “They’re just a little quicker, a little better execution-wise, a little better on the glass. I think we still showed a little frustration at the start. I don’t know why, it’s a long match, et cetera.

The Sixers were also doomed by foul trouble, which led to Andre Drummond, Guerschon Yabusele, KJ Martin and Adem Bona logging time at center in the first quarter.

The problem is that the Sixers have to rely heavily on their three max-salary players: Embiid, George and the All-Star point guard. Tyrese Maxey – because the list is currently constituted.

Due to salary camp restrictions, the Sixers were limited in how much they could spend on players to fit into the Big Three. Four of their key pieces — Kyle LowryEric Gordon, Reggie Jackson and Guerschon Yabusele – benefit from minimum salary contracts. Lowry (38) and Gordon (35) are among the oldest players in the league. Meanwhile, Jackson will turn 35 in April.

They are still solid contributors, as Lowry shows by averaging 13.5 points and 4.0 assists and shooting 60% from three-point range. But at this point in the veteran’s 19th year in the league, Lowry was expected to provide leadership and depth at point guard during the season. Like Embiid, it would be wise to keep him fresh for the playoffs.

But as the team’s best pure point guard, he needs to provide ball-handling and three-point shooting, at least for the start of this season.

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Lowry was a member of that Raptors championship team. At that time, he was at the peak of his career. The North Philly native earned the fifth of what would be six straight All-Star berths. He also averaged a career-high 8.7 assists.

Lowry and Leonard were part of a starting lineup that included Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol and Danny Green. Meanwhile, Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell were key players coming off the bench. OG Anunoby was also a member of this team.

With Nurse tinkering with several different lineups and the acquisition of Gasol at the trade deadline, the Raptors’ playoff starting lineup was only intact for 114 minutes in the regular season.

But that didn’t stop them from finishing with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, 58-24.

However, the Sixers’ star players may have to carry much of the load for this regular season to be a success. It’s not a big blow for them. It’s just that the Sixers filled the roster with a group of players with specific skill sets to match up against Embiid, Maxey and George.

While Siakam was the most improved player in the league during the 2018-19 season. He and VanVleet would become All-Stars, while Anunoby would become one of the league’s elite defenders.

That’s why they are different situations.

The Sixers are 16-29 without Embiid since the start of last season. George was acquired in part to help Maxey carry the load on nights the center is unavailable. The team might find that even his addition won’t fill the void as much as they thought.

If that’s the case, the only thing that would remain similar is a plan to rest his best player.