‘Unstoppable’: Embiid, Harden Duo Thriving For Sixers

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, NBA
NBA Analysis Network

The Philadelphia 76ers have been the talk of the NBA after pulling off the NBA trade deadline acquisition of James Harden in part of a deal with the Brooklyn Nets that ended the Ben Simmons nightmare.

While it’s been just two games, Joel Embiid and Harden have already shown the early signs of a truly dominant duo where the skill-sets mesh in ways where defenses have to pick their poison and still get made to pay.

Harden has done what he does best by roasting switches in isolation while also being involved in DHOs where the defense is already going to be in a compromised position from the start. Along with incredible playmaking in the half-court out of those actions and in the open floor, so far, he’s averaged 28.0 points and 14.0 assists with just 2.5 turnovers in his performances.

Joel Embiid has benefited from Harden’s impact significantly with averages of 35.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while getting to the line for a total of 40 times. Yes, you read that right, Embiid has averaged 20 free throw attempts in his pair of performances alongside Harden. Embiid described the Sixers’ new duo as “unstoppable.”

LATEST NBA NEWS: Embiid Raves About Harden Pairing After Sixers Win

“What are you really going to do?” Embiid said, via ESPN. “He’s a great passer, and obviously I’ve got someone [next to me] that attracts a lot of attention to him, so you’ve got to make a decision. Do you stay on me, or do you stay on him? And if you want to guard both of us with the other guys, now you’ve got Matisse [Thybulle] diving to the rim or wide-open shooters that have got one job to do, and that’s make shots. That’s all we got to keep doing.

“Like I was saying in the locker room, I’m happy I don’t have to post up every single possession, so it’s great.”

James Harden, who has averaged 9.5 free throw attempts since his Sixers debut, explained how it’s a priority to apply significant pressure on the rim throughout games. Embiid is going to get fouled a lot naturally and getting downhill as a guard will create free-throw chances using the bonus, too.

LATEST NBA NEWS: Embiid Raves About Harden Pairing After Sixers Win

“That’s our job every single night, is to put pressure on that rim,” Harden said. “That creates opportunities for ourselves and our teammates. There’s a lot of opportunities Joel had with and-1s where he just didn’t convert, but that pressure night-in and night-out consistently is going to be tough for teams to cover.”

The impact of James Harden and Joel Embiid for the Philadelphia 76ers goes far beyond just getting to the free throw line often. The two have displayed highly intriguing synergy in both ball screens and DHOs where the defense often is going to commit to loading up on one of them and Harden’s playmaking is going to make them pay for it with his ability to make reads and process how to counter. Embiid’s versatility as a rim roller and pop threat is maximized as a result.

“I thought I mixed it up pretty well the last two games. Tonight I obviously didn’t make any shots from the outside like I usually do,” Embiid said. “Against Minnesota I had a couple rolls, half rolls and pops where I made shots, so it’s all about really figuring out by the feel, and tonight I felt like their bigs, they were either too high or too aggressive, so it gave me a free lane to attack the basket, which caused them to foul a lot.

“But it’s all about mixing. Sometimes it depends on how they’re guarding, sometimes I’m gonna pop, sometimes I’m gonna roll, but like I said, he attracts so much attention so you can’t go wrong with both choices. If that night I’m making a lot of outside shots, I’m probably going to pop a lot, and then tonight I just saw I could get to the free throw line really whenever I wanted. That’s why I was so aggressive.”

LATEST NBA NEWS: Embiid Raves About Harden Pairing After Sixers Win

Sometimes, there’s nothing quite like a superstar all-around perimeter threat and elite big man joining forces. The synergistic nature of the actions both players can be involved in to apply pressure on the defense can go a long way as opposed to having a three-headed perimeter superstar monster where someone is always standing. The Philadelphia 76ers are experiencing this firsthand.

“We just want to win,” Harden said. “My job is to just come and add to it.”

Early NBA Offseason Intel: Donovan Mitchell’s Future, Spurs, Hawks, More

There is still a lot of NBA basketball left to play, as the 2024 playoffs have yet to begin, but there is already some information

Nuggets Defeat Trail Blazers 114-111 Without Jokic and Murray

On a night marked by the absence of stars and the presence of rookies, the Denver Nuggets eked out a 114-111 victory against the Portland

Tatum’s Celtics Handily Defeat Bulls 124-113 for 9th Straight Win

In a testament to their unwavering momentum, the Boston Celtics didn’t let the absence of key players slow them down. They charged to their ninth