Getty Joel Embiid #21 and James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers during play against the Miami Heat in Game Six of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals at Wells Fargo Center on May 12, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
There has been a growing frustration from Philadelphia 76ers fans to start this season. At the root of it- the superstar duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden not clicking in the way it was hoped. While the sample size is still incredibly small, the Sixers are just 2-5 when both players are active. The two have struggled to maximize each other on the court and instead fallen victim to their isolation tendencies. Doc Rivers was asked about the duo following Thursday’s practice and preached patience. As the coach put it, “I just think it’s going to take time. Today was really our first live practice. But yeah, just them on the floor together is good. We actually did a lot of live stuff, which you don’t get a chance to do much in the regular season. So it’s good,” per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Joel Embiid PnR numbers as the roll man in 2021
4.6 poss per gm
16.6% freq
1.24 PPP
5.8 points
56.4% FG%
61.5% eFG%
23.1% FT rate freq
4.7% And One freq
Massive step forward last year with James Harden but still would like to see the Sixers use him more
Embiid’s Effort Level
Another subject that was touched on was Embiid’s effort level. The Sixers follow their superstar sometimes to a fault and are dependent on him to set the tone. While to some extent this is natural for a team’s superstar, it feels as if the Sixers are overly reliant on the big man compared to other teams around the league.
When asked about his energy level following practice Rivers put it, “Well, to play at his pace every time is something we have to do. I think he’s doing it overall. Defensively, he goes in and out. Some of the most gifted offensive players, honestly [do it]. But we need him to be more dominant every night, defensively and offensively. But I think he will. When we get everybody back, I think it helps him,” per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
A great deal of this concerning effort level shows face in the Sixers’ rebounding struggles. Philadelphia ranks 29th in the league in rebounds at 39.9 per game. They also are 27th in contested rebounds at just 12.8 per game. So far this season Embiid is averaging just 9.6 rebounds per game which is the lowest since his rookie year in which he played just 25.4 minutes per game. This is a significant step back from the 11.3 rebounds he averages throughout his career. He also is recording just 3.9% of his rebounds when two or more players are contesting the loose ball which should be much higher considering his massive frame.
Harden’s Return
It should not have been expected for things to fully click in Harden’s first game back, but the early signs were not very encouraging. The 33-year-old finished with 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and seven turnovers while shooting 4-19 from the field in the recent matchup with the Rockets. The ugly side of isolation ball from Harden was put on display and he came up empty on the game-winning attempts both at the end of the fourth quarter and the first overtime period.
Had to go back and watch this back and looks like James Harden’s shot was blocked which makes me feel slightly better than him passing out of the shot
With that being said, Embiid and Harden just have to create better offense than this
Saw the down side of Hero-ball tonight
While Harden still flashed his high-IQ passing and hit some necessary shots, both he and Embiid must grow in their ability to share the ball. The Sixers’ offense has been overly stagnant and the ball sticking has been limiting to each player as well as the rest of the roster. The Sixers rank 27th in the NBA in potential assists per game thus far.
Rivers is right that it will take some time for the duo to click, but the clock is ticking for the roster to get on the right track. Harden played just 21 games with the Sixers following the trade last season and has been on the court for just 10 games so far this year. Philadelphia sits at 12-12 on the season in 8th place in the Eastern Conference. They now have an upcoming seven-game homestand with no back-to-back matchups which is a terrific chance to begin getting in the win column. They will kick things off with a matchup against the Lakers and hopefully, Harden and Embiid can take some strides forward in their partnership following the few days of practice.
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Doc Rivers Preaches Patience for the Joel Embiid/James Harden Duo