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76ers

It&rsquo;s 2024, and teams led by Stephen Curry and LeBron James are once again near the top of the Western Conference. The Warriors have surged to a 6-1 record, placing them tied for 2nd, while the Lakers aren&rsquo;t far behind, holding the 5th spot in a jam-packed situation with several other teams with a 4-3 start. These strong beginnings reflect the impact of both veteran leadership and tactical innovation from new coaching staff.&nbsp;
At the center of it all are James and Curry. The two will always be intertwined after all those years of squaring off in the Finals, even more so now after being the de facto faces of the league. Despite some rocky performances, both Steph and LeBron remain the league's gold standard for sustained excellence.
The Warriors have been on fire to start the season, and they&rsquo;re doing it through defense. They are first in the league in deflections through 7 games played, disrupting opposing teams&rsquo; schemes. More than their high-octane offense, it's their defense that&rsquo;s had a noticeable jump from last year and it&rsquo;s showing up early in the standings.&nbsp;
At the heart of the Warriors&rsquo; offense though is the generational talent in Steph. Curry's impact on the game remains unmatched &ndash; his consistent scoring and playmaking are invaluable and he commands the respect of defenses while creating scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Draymond Green&rsquo;s defensive influence has anchored Golden State&rsquo;s early success. Even without Curry for three games, the Warriors have continued their winning streak and Draymond was leading the pack with their leader sidelined. His energy and presence bring stability to the defensive end, setting the tone for the entire team. Green&rsquo;s communication and hustle provide a roadmap for the younger Warriors, exemplifying what&rsquo;s expected in terms of effort and awareness on defense.&nbsp;
Younger players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have brought depth and energy. Kuminga&rsquo;s athleticism and refined shot selection have given the Warriors a scoring boost, while Moody&rsquo;s steady hand and court vision have added depth.&nbsp;
Under head coach Steve Kerr and his new assistants Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse, the Warriors&rsquo; dynamic rotations leverage both the experience of seasoned stars and the energy of rising talent.&nbsp; With a more reliable bench this season, head coach Steve Kerr has even more flexibility in his rotations. The team signed free agents Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson, and DeAnthony Melton &ndash; all solid role players that have contributed to their cause.&nbsp;
Along with second year players Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Warriors&rsquo; depth is crucial as it allows the team to maintain intensity and momentum when the starters rest. Each player is clear on their role, which keeps the Warriors competitive in all game situations and allows Kerr to implement strategic adjustments without compromising the team&rsquo;s flow.
The Lakers are also enjoying a strong start to the season despite recent disappointing losses. With new head coach JJ Redick bringing a fresh perspective and strategic shift to the team, the Lakers look an entirely different team from a year ago. Redick&rsquo;s emphasis on ball movement and three-point efficiency has provided the Lakers with an offensive boost, allowing their shooters to maximize space and versatility. His experience as a former player gives him a strong rapport with the team, allowing him to instill a confident and cohesive approach.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis remain crucial, with LeBron&rsquo;s court vision and leadership guiding the Lakers&rsquo; offense while Davis continues to dominate defensively and in the paint. Their veteran presence is balanced by young players like Austin Reaves, who has stepped up as a consistent scoring and playmaking option, enhancing the Lakers' depth.
Why LeBron and Steph, Lakers and Warriors, being good is great for the NBA
With James and Curry&rsquo;s teams on top, the NBA benefits from a renewed excitement to their teams. Both the Lakers and Warriors lead in national TV appearances this year &ndash; with 39 and 36 respectively &ndash; underscoring the pull of their megastar leaders.&nbsp;
These two franchises add a level of intrigue that fans and the league can&rsquo;t get enough of. In a landscape with younger stars emerging, LeBron and Steph&rsquo;s presence at the top underscores their lasting impact and broad appeal&mdash;creating a formula for success and driving fan engagement everywhere.
The simultaneous resurgence of both the Warriors and Lakers is not only exciting for their fans but also beneficial for the NBA. These two franchises, with storied rivalries and legacies, bring added viewership and energy to the league.&nbsp;
Their renewed competitiveness boosts the Western Conference&rsquo;s intrigue and sets up the potential for classic matchups in the playoffs, reigniting a rivalry that has captivated fans for years.&nbsp;
As the season unfolds, the Warriors and Lakers are proving that their presence at the top is essential for keeping the NBA as thrilling as ever.

It’s 2024, and teams led by Stephen Curry and LeBron James are once again near the top of the West --- it’s great for the game.

The Warriors and Lakers could be back, and it’s great for the NBA

With the 2024-25 NBA season just days away, the Western Conference is locked, loaded, and ready for battle. The offseason drama has settled, rosters are finalized, and every team is gearing up for what promises to be a fierce and competitive race. From reigning contenders to rising underdogs, the West is stacked with talent and ambition. Let&rsquo;s break down the top 15 teams in the West as we head into this thrilling new season&mdash;no frills, just what you need to know.
<ol>
<li> Minnesota Timberwolves The Timberwolves are turning a new page after trading away longtime cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo and are now fully embracing Anthony Edwards as the franchise cornerstone. The T-Wolves&rsquo; mix of young talent and veteran leadership gives them a balanced roster around Edwards. Rudy Gobert remains a defensive anchor as a 4-time DPOY, Edwards is primed for a superstar leap, and if the supporting cast, including Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, steps up, the Wolves could be ready to take the top spot in the West.</li>
<li> Oklahoma City Thunder The Thunder&rsquo;s rebuild is no longer a long-term project; they&rsquo;re ready to compete now. However, due to Isaiah Hartenstein&rsquo;s injury to start the season, we&rsquo;re placing the Thunder at no.2 for now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already an All-NBA guard and arguably a top 5 player in the league. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams figure out to be the dynamic inside-out duo around SGA. Add in Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, the two new acquisitions this offseason with their capable role players Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe, this young core is as versatile as it is exciting. OKC&rsquo;s depth and versatility on both ends of the floor could propel them into serious title contention.</li>
<li> Phoenix Suns The Suns have loaded up for a title run, and with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal leading the charge, Phoenix has one of the most dangerous offensive trios in the league. They have added their most significant hole which is the PG spot with a solid pick up in Tyus Jones, and they have one of the best offensive coaches in the league in Mike Budenholzer. The Suns&rsquo; questions lie in their depth and health, but if they can manage those concerns, they&rsquo;re built for a championship push. Their offensive firepower is unmatched, and if they click, the Suns will be a team no one wants to face.</li>
<li> Memphis Grizzlies Memphis has weathered their offseason storms and enters the season with a gritty identity intact. Ja Morant is back after his injury and suspension last year and he will now play with last season&rsquo;s addition Marcus Smart. Together with the continued growth of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies are primed to be competitive and come back from their prime two seasons ago where they won 50+ games. Memphis&rsquo; defensive dominance paired with offensive firepower ensures they can be one of the top teams in the West with a deep bench with solid role players.</li>
<li> Denver Nuggets After falling short to Minnesota in 7 games last playoffs, the Nuggets will enter the season with their core mostly intact. Nikola Jokić remains the most dominant center and the best player in the game. With Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. healthy, the Nuggets are poised for another deep run. But perhaps their biggest loss this season was losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to free agency and that might be a hit so they&rsquo;re currently ranked at no.5 to start the year. It could be a lot to ask for young players like Christian Braun or Julian Strawther to fill the void left by KCP, so it will be interesting to see how Denver handles his loss this season.</li>
<li> Dallas Mavericks Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving experiment is back after a successful season last year, where Dallas entered the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 &ndash; when they won the title. The two stars can mesh to create one of the league&rsquo;s most potent offenses and with the continued internal development of young players like Dereck Lively, the Mavs can build on that Finals appearance. With newcomer Klay Thompson set to provide historic spacing for their dynamic duo, Dallas has the talent to climb the standings and challenge the top teams in the West.</li>
<li> New Orleans Pelicans The Pelicans&rsquo; fate will always hinge on Zion Williamson&rsquo;s health. When Zion plays, New Orleans is a force to be reckoned with. Now paired with newly-acquired point guard Dejounte Murray, they have a balanced attack capable of competing with any team in the conference with Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum still on the fold. If Zion stays on the floor, the Pelicans could find themselves rising up the ranks, but his availability remains the biggest X-factor.</li>
<li> Golden State Warriors The Warriors are clinging to their championship window with Stephen Curry still playing at an elite level. The addition of capable veterans in Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and DeAnthony Melton gives them depth and personnel that can play in their offense to surround the core of Curry and Draymond Green for their foundation. Health and age are concerns, but if their veterans stay intact, Golden State can&rsquo;t be counted out.</li>
<li> Sacramento Kings The Kings struggled a bit last season after making their long-awaited playoff return two seasons ago, and they&rsquo;re looking to build on that momentum. They have signed DeMar DeRozan and he should bring a new wrinkle to their motion and three-hunting offense. DeRozan&rsquo;s mid range ability should be a welcome addition to Sacramento&rsquo;s offense. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis still lead an explosive offense, but defense remains a question mark. Sacramento&rsquo;s high-flying, fast-paced style makes them a regular-season juggernaut, but they&rsquo;ll need to tighten up defensively if they want to make a deep playoff run.</li>
<li> Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers are counting on LeBron James and Anthony Davis staying healthy for a full season. With the front office standing pat on making moves this offseason, the Lakers&rsquo; success will hinge on their superstar duo. If LeBron and AD can avoid injury, Los Angeles will be a formidable playoff team, but health is always a looming concern with this group.</li>
<li> Houston Rockets The Rockets added veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to guide their young core last season and this season could be the time for them to step up. They finished strong last year behind defensive minded coach Ime Udoka and the result could be a team that surprises many. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun have star potential, and younger players Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson add even more excitement. The Rockets also drafted Reed Sheppard with the 3rd pick and Houston is hoping to lay the foundation for success and could push for a Play-In spot this season.</li>
<li> San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama enters his second season, and the Spurs are fully embracing their rebuild around the budding star. While Wembanyama showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie, San Antonio is still in the development phase. But with the addition of Chris Paul, the Spurs now have a capable PG to feed Wemby and the other guys, possibly unlocking a new level to their games. With their young core, the Spurs may not be a playoff team yet, but their future looks incredibly bright with Wembanyama leading the way.</li>
<li> Los Angeles Clippers The Clippers&rsquo; fortunes rest on the health of Kawhi Leonard&mdash;again. After losing Paul George for nothing, Leonard is left to fend LA off by himself in their new arena at Intuit Dome. Gone are the days when LA has the talent to compete with anyone as they&rsquo;re just but a shell of themselves. Leading the way for the injured Leonard will be a 34-year-old James Harden and that might be too much to ask of the aging superstar. However, if Kawhi can return healthy and he can avoid the injury bug, the Clippers will be in the playoff mix, but that&rsquo;s a big &ldquo;if&rdquo; for this squad.</li>
<li> Portland Trail Blazers With Damian Lillard long gone, the Blazers will fully commit another season to their rebuild. Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe form a promising young core, but Portland will likely spend this season focusing on player development. While they won&rsquo;t be in playoff contention, the Blazers are positioning themselves well for the future, with an eye on growth and improvement.</li>
<li> Utah Jazz The Jazz are continuing their rebuild, with Lauri Markkanen emerging as a cornerstone player. While they have some intriguing young pieces like Taylor Hendricks and Keyonte George, Utah isn&rsquo;t ready to compete just yet. This season will be about development and finding which young players can be part of their long-term plans. The Jazz may not win many games this year, but they&rsquo;re building toward a brighter future.</li>
</ol>

Let’s break down the top 15 teams in the West as we head into this thrilling new season.

2024-2025 NBA Western Conference Power Rankings: A race at the top to start the year

Stephen Curry has signed a one-year, $62.6 million extension with the Golden State Warriors in what is the largest single-season contract in NBA history to date, <a href="https://x.com/wojespn/status/1829193411787903446">according to ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski.</a>&nbsp;
With this new extension, Curry will join LeBron James and Kevin Durant as the only $500+ million earning NBA players in history.
ANALYSIS: Curry&rsquo;s new contract now aligns with Draymond Green&rsquo;s, running through the 2026-2027 season. It remains to be seen if head coach Steve Kerr, whose contract runs through the 2025-2026 season, will also sign a one-year extension with the team to align his contract with stars Green and Curry.
Even entering his age-37 season, Curry remains formidable as ever. The Golden State Warriors superstar point guard has had a fruitful summer, winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA with an iconic performance in the gold medal game against hosts France.&nbsp;
Golden State enters the new NBA season with a new group around Curry. They lost Warrior legend Klay Thompson in free agency to the Dallas Mavericks. The Warriors replaced Thompson with capable surrounding pieces in Kyle Anderson, DeAnthony Melton, and Buddy Hield as they try to contend in the tough Western Conference.&nbsp;

Stephen Curry has signed a one-year, $62.6 million extension with the Golden State Warriors according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Stephen Curry signs massive $62.6 million extension with Warriors

The Philadelphia 76ers are in a state of dilemma right now.&nbsp;
As Philadelphia enters Game 2 in their best-of-7 series against the New York Knicks on the road at the Madison Square Garden, it has them wondering for adjustments and key plays with hopes of tying the series.
Although Nick Nurse&rsquo;s defensive scheme on the Knicks&rsquo; Jalen Brunson, his buddy Josh Hart happened and knocked down three crucial three-pointers in the 4th quarter of Game 1 to bury the Sixers. Brunson was held to 22 points on 8-26 shooting, but Hart had 22 points himself as well.
That&rsquo;s bad news for the Sixers. The Knicks star point guard have been playing at an all-NBA level this season thus far and it is clear that the game plan is to send guys at Brunson for him to see bodies and make him work for his points. However, when someone else has a performance as big as Hart&rsquo;s in Game 1, that would be difficult for the Sixers to overcome.
On offense, Tyrese Maxey shouldered most of the offensive load in the 4th quarter after reigning MVP Joel Embiid injured his knee in the first half. Embiid came to play in the second half, but was visibly not his usual self physically, missing his patented midrange jumpers and some layups around the basket. He ended up finishing the game with 29 points but shot an abysmal 8-22 from the field. Maxey himself scored 33 points but played a game-high 43 minutes for the game. This is something the Sixers should monitor because as young and spry as he is, Maxey is essential for them down the stretch especially if this extends down the line.
How could the Sixers bounce back? Heading into tonight&rsquo;s Game 2 and moving forward into the series, here are some of the things the Sixers could do to steal one on the road and possibly win the series.
Play Buddy Hield more
The Sixers&rsquo; midseason acquisition only played for 10 minutes and did not score at all. That is uncharacteristic for someone you brought in for this exact reason: to have more weapons around Embiid in the playoffs. Although a defensive liability at times, Hield&rsquo;s gravity as a shooter and threat from the outside is more than enough to compensate for those.&nbsp;
Hield is a proven knockdown shooter who can only help space the floor for Embiid when he&rsquo;s in the middle of the floor. If given the opportunity and he hits his shots, the paint will open up even more which will give Embiid and Maxey more room to operate.
&ldquo;Buddy [Hield] didn&rsquo;t get much of a chance last game,&rdquo; Nurse said on Sunday. &ldquo;He did have a couple of plays there. He didn&rsquo;t play good. It&rsquo;s a game where you can&rsquo;t extend minutes when a guy has three or four mistakes, but I do say this he&rsquo;ll be a factor in the series. He could have just as easily made that wide-open 3, and then hit another one the next time down the floor like he does, but he didn&rsquo;t. We kind of gave him this chance to impact it and we had to get back to somebody else, but he&rsquo;ll be a factor.&rdquo;
Involve Tobias Harris on more offensive actions and build up his confidence
As it stands right now, Tobias Harris&rsquo; confidence has looked to be cooked and nowhere to be found. He has been playing out of sorts over the past few games, oftentimes getting lost in translation within the flow of the Sixers offense at times. With Embiid demanding the ball and the attention most of the time and Maxey setting the offense up, this leaves Harris with little to no opportunities to have any sort of offensive rhythm.
Harris is also not the role player specialist like Kelly Oubre who brings defensive toughness, hits the occasional threes, and provides the timely cuts, or Nic Batum&rsquo;s lockdown one-on-one defense coupled with his three-point marksmanship. Harris is someone you make plays for to set him up. He has shown that capability over his career, being the third option on offense. Harris&rsquo; skill set allows him to attack off the catch, hit some catch-and-shoot threes here and there, and run some pick-and-rolls with certain guys.
If the Sixers want to have a chance to bounce back in Game 2, Harris should be more involved on offense no matter how Nick Nurse and his staff would do it. A 30-million-dollar player like Harris can&rsquo;t just camp in the corner or wings ball-watching and watch the ball come to him, he should be utilized in a way his strengths as a player can help the Sixers.
Bench production is a must
In Game 1, the Sixers only had 5 bench points. That can&rsquo;t happen again. Even though they are down two key rotation players in DeAnthony Melton and Robert Covington, both the coaching staff and the players themselves need to do a better job involving players on offense and stepping up to the plate. This is the playoffs and everyone has to contribute something. 
After scoring 20 points against Miami, Batum only had 3 points in Game 1. Hield wasn&rsquo;t even able to score a point. Backup big Paul Reed has to be more aggressive especially now that Embiid is not 100%. Cam Payne has to hit one or two shots when he comes in, just to change the complexion of the game a little bit. Maybe Nick Nurse could reach a bit deeper into his bag of tricks and activate someone like Ricky Council for an energy boost after the rookie played a good stretch to end the season. 
The bench has to help the starters at some point in the series. But it has to start in Game 2 &ndash; because it takes everyone to win a playoff basketball game.
&nbsp;

How could the Sixers bounce back? Here are some of the things the Sixers could do to steal one on the road and win the series.

2024 NBA Playoffs: 3 adjustments for Sixers to bounce back vs Knicks

Heading into the weekend, I figured I'd followed the same script as the other two award pieces. Fill out and&nbsp; complete my (fake) ballot, sprinkle in some extra details or stray thoughts to account for questions that may pop up, then go about my business.
I dropped my "final rough draft" on Friday's episode of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a>, though I gave myself a weekend's worth of wiggle room to make any last-second changes. In typical fashion, I watched, researched and ultimately thought myself into a headache. The result of that is this piece: A separate article detailing where and how I landed on the 2022-23 NBA Most Valuable Player, with a follow-up article coming to reveal the rest of my (fake) ballot.
Throughout MVP discourse, many people &mdash; voters or people like me who wish they could vote &mdash; have made it a point to mention how tough it is. To highlight how the top three &mdash; Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo &mdash; are all worthy candidates to win, and that we shouldn't be all that upset by who wins. There's truth to that.
(You, savvy reader and/or listener, can also tell when someone is genuinely perplexed vs. when they're throwing in that platitude in an effort to avoid smoke for his/her opinion. We can be real here.)
I landed in the former camp. To refresh your memory, this is where I landed at the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-award-picks-mvp-dpoy-rookie-sixth-man-most-improved-all-league-defensive-teams-volume-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beginning of March</a>:
Previous order (through Mar.1): 
<ol>
<li>Nikola Jokic (Previously No. 3)</li>
<li>Giannis Antetokounmpo (Previously No. 2)</li>
<li>Joel Embiid (Previously Honorable Mention, Record)</li>
<li>Jayson Tatum (Previously No. 1)</li>
<li>Luka Doncic (Previously No. 5)</li>
</ol>
This is where I am right now on April 11 with the regular season over:
<ol>
<li>Joel Embiid (Previously No. 3) </li>
<li>Giannis Antetokounmpo (Previously No. 2)</li>
<li>Nikola Jokic (Previously No. 1)</li>
<li>Jayson Tatum (Previously No. 4)</li>
<li>Domantas Sabonis (Previously Honorable Mention, Not As Good As Luka Doncic)</li>
</ol>
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With all due respect to Tatum and Sabonis, there isn't much to discuss with their placements.
Tatum was a two-way ironman for a team that flirted with the best record in the NBA. At full tilt, the Boston Celtics may very well be the best team in the league. Tatum became the first Celtic to average over 30 points per game for a season &mdash; a mind-blowing stat considering their history. Career-high averages in rebounds (8.8) and assists (4.6) are also nice. If you'd like to use Tatum's availability (and overall malleability) to argue for him to be higher, you can; it just wouldn't be my&nbsp;case.&nbsp;
Sabonis was the best player on the Western Conference's most (surprisingly) consistent team, acting as the hub of the NBA's most dangerous offense. He became just the fourth player in NBA history to average at least 19 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists in a season; add in his 61.5% clip from the field (63.9% on twos, 37.3% on a low volume of threes), and the list shrinks to him and Wilt Chamberlain.&nbsp;
The battle for MVP ultimately became a three-man race in 2023 &mdash; if you recall, Tatum was my MVP <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-early-season-award-picks-mvp-dpoy-rookie-sixth-man-most-improved-all-league-defensive-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in my first check-in</a> from mid-December &mdash; between Embiid, Giannis and Jokic.
There's more to discuss with Jokic, who nearly became the first center in NBA history to average a triple-double. Even that sells his season short; Jokic just logged the most efficient season in NBA history among players to average at least 20 points.
If Jokic and the Denver Nuggets hadn't, by their standards, sputtered to the finish line, he likely would've maintained the lead he had in my second check-in and gotten my fictitious vote. That he was already having a (much) worse defensive season than Embiid and Giannis and managed to go backwards over this recent stretch &mdash; particularly the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-concerned-should-we-be-about-the-denver-nuggets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">middle portion of March</a> &mdash; made it tough for me in a race this close.
There was even a quieter dip in Jokic's production offensively, though he was still absurd overall.
<ul>
<li>Dec. 14 through Feb. 28 (32 games): 25.2 points on 71.2% True Shooting, 10.7 assists (3.7 turnovers)</li>
<li>From March 1 onward (14 games): 24.0 points on 69.6% True Shooting, 9.1 assists (3.6 turnovers)</li>
</ul>
That being said, it was a ridiculous season from Jokic. He was still the best offensive player in the league for me. The Nuggets showcased, on multiple occasions, that they didn't quite know how to function without him. Even with the recent "slippage," he paced the league in many advanced metrics. A worthy choice, just ultimately not my choice.
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From here, let's talk about Embiid vs Giannis for a bit. Here are a handful of Embiid's stat lines since the beginning of March:
<ul>
<li>52-13-6 (plus 2 blocks) in a win vs. the Celtics</li>
<li>46-9-8-2-1 in a loss vs. the Warriors</li>
<li>36-18 (plus 4 blocks) in a win vs. the Cavaliers</li>
<li>31-6-10 in a win vs. the Bucks</li>
<li>39-7-4-1-3 in a win vs. the Timberwolves</li>
</ul>
This ignores the 37 and 16 against Chicago; the 42-on-16-shots affair against the Pacers; the 38-14-5 he slapped up against the Hornets. Of the 18 games Embiid played during this stretch, he scored 30 or more 12 times and the Philadelphia 76ers went 12-6 in those contests. He fell below 20 points once &mdash; 12-7-7 in 16 first-half minutes against the Bulls before sitting the second half of that blowout for precautionary reasons. There's a rule about assuming, but it'd be fair to project him putting up a nutty stat line in that game had he played the second half.
There just hasn't been a consistent answer for this guy all year. Crowding the paint only does so much when he's willing to shoot over you &mdash; and do so at a high clip. Doubling can only do so much when he's grown as a passer &mdash; the Sixers scored at an elite rate on possessions that Embiid passed out of a post-double team (1.17 PPP) or isolation double (1.14 PPP), per Second Spectrum &mdash; and can <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2023/3/31/23664110/joel-embiid-76ers-mvp-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brow-beat them</a> when necessary.&nbsp;
He's taken over half of his shots from mid-range this season and drilled them at a 49% clip. He drew 104 fouls in the mid-range area, per Cleaning The Glass; do you know how hard it is to have Embiid's shot profile and manage to get fouled as often as he does? It's insane stuff and speaks to the guard-like ability he has in this range.&nbsp;
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The defense has waxed and waned over the closing stretch, but the Sixers ended the year with a 94.5 half-court defensive rating with Embiid on the floor, per Cleaning The Glass; that's equivalent to the second-best half-court D in the NBA, and is a mark that shouldn't be that high considering Philly's overall roster construction.
Even "Lax Embiid" can goad opponents into pull-ups &mdash; though that's something worth keeping an eye on as the postseason hits. Engaged Embiid &mdash; the guy that can blow stuff up at the level of the screen and still strut back to challenge shots at the rim &mdash; is, and has been, a world-ender.
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The TLDR summary: Embiid had a heavy load to carry on both ends of the floor, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-feature-philadelphia-76ers-sixers-joel-embiid-mvp-race-james-harden-tyrese-maxey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dominated offensively and anchored a high-level defense while flashing an even higher level when fully locked in</a>. Having a 65% win rate in his games helped; the advanced metrics also paint him in a favorable light.
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Of course, we can't lose sight of the work Giannis did in a less-than-ideal context at the beginning of the year. He was without his best pick-and-roll partner in Khris Middleton and didn't always have Jrue Holiday by his side. It's not a coincidence that, once those two were in the lineup with Giannis more consistently, the Milwaukee Bucks (and Giannis) took off.
Giannis remained a battering ram at the rim, drawing shooting fouls on a career-best 24.6% of his shot attempts this year, per Cleaning The Glass. His mark of 12.3 free throw attempts per game led the NBA. Giannis' downhill passing also remained a legitimate weapon; his rate of kick-out passes rose to career-high levels (17.1 per 100 possessions), while his turnover rate on total passes (1.57%) was his lowest in three seasons, per Second Spectrum.
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There was an obvious gap between Embiid and Giannis in points (33.1 vs. 31.1) and a larger one in efficiency (Embiid's 65.5% TS vs. Giannis' 60.7% TS). Again, it's hard to overstate the difference in shooting ability that the two displayed. Embiid was a monster from mid-range compared to Giannis' clip (31.8%), knocked down a higher percentage of threes (33.0% vs. 27.5%) and shot much better from the line (85.7% vs. 64.5%).
Milwaukee faithful would likely point to the context for the two, particularly what Giannis dealt with at the beginning of the year sans Middleton &mdash; and at times, with no Holiday. There's some credence to that.&nbsp;
How's this for a did-you-know: The Sixers logged a paltry 111.4 offensive rating in 333 minutes with Embiid on the floor without James Harden and Tyrese Maxey; the Bucks were slightly better &mdash; a 113.8 offensive rating in nearly double the sample (643 minutes) &mdash; with Giannis on the floor without Holiday and Middleton.
The scoring breakdown in those minutes:
<ul>
<li>Giannis: 608 points (34.0 points per 36 minutes), 57.7% on twos, 26.2% on threes, 60.3% TS</li>
<li>Embiid: 302 points (32.6 per 36), 51.4% on twos, 22.2% on threes, 58.4% TS</li>
</ul>
The playmaking still leans towards Giannis:
<ul>
<li>Giannis: 145 assists (8.1 per 36), 94 turnovers (5.3 per 36)</li>
<li>Embiid: 63 assists (6.8 per 36), 44 turnovers (4.8 per 36)</li>
</ul>
If you only filter for the minutes the two played with and without their primary ball-handler &mdash; <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612755&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=203954,201935" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harden for Embiid</a>, <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612749&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=203507,201950" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Holiday for Giannis</a> &mdash; some fun stuff is revealed, namely:
<ul>
<li>The Bucks' offense burned a little brighter with Giannis and Holiday (123.9 ORTG) compared to the Sixers pairing (123.2 ORTG).</li>
<li>The Sixers still operated at a top-10 rate when Embiid played without Harden (117.8, would rank No. 7); the same could not be said for Giannis without Holiday (113.0, would rank No. 26).</li>
</ul>
Zooming out, the defense is where things got tight for me.
Full disclosure: On Friday's pod, I listed Embiid as my choice. By Sunday morning, I was ready to flip to Giannis. And that was before Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1645111264623095808?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped his exclusive sit-down interview</a> with the 2021 NBA champion, surprisingly (and honestly, refreshingly) dipping into his, "Let's not get carried away, I still do this" bag. The Sixers tailing off defensively over the past couple of weeks really opened the door.
Giannis has been elite this year, an omnipresent deterrent lurking around the weak side. When challenged at the rim, opponents haven't had much success; they converted just 55.4% of their shots at the rim against Giannis, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defensive-impact?CF=GP*GE*49:DEF_RIM_FGA*GE*4&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RIM_FG_PCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which ranks 10th among 51 players</a> to defend at least four shots per contest.
But of that 51-player group, Giannis ranked 40th in shots defended per game. Embiid was third and Jokic was fourth; that obviously speaks to how willing teams were to attack the latter, but the discrepancy is at least kinda funny when considering the scheme differences between the two.&nbsp;
Embiid ranked 12th in contested shots per game (10.3). Giannis ranked 44th (6.6); his teammate, Brook Lopez, was first (17.5) by a comically large margin.
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That led me down the Giannis-at-the-5 rabbit hole, which revealed that the Bucks were a middling defense (114.2 DRTG, would rank 13th) with Giannis on the floor without Lopez, per Cleaning The Glass. When you also&nbsp;remove Bobby Portis from the equation, however, that drops to a would-be-league-leading 104.5 DRTG in nearly 850 possessions.
There were other searches I did that I won't bore you with, such as Giannis without Holiday and Lopez (116.7 DRTG in 1,034 possessions) compared to Embiid without De'Anthony Melton and PJ Tucker (111.8 DRTG in 561 possessions).
(It's worth noting that such a query left the Jevon Carter minutes on the table for Giannis, as it did the pre-trade Matisse Thybulle minutes for Embiid.)
Ultimately, the fundamental question became this: Do you value Giannis being better in a secondary rim-protecting role than Embiid with his primary responsibilities, or do you give Embiid the edge for having to carry more responsibility on that end?
You're more than welcome to disagree, but I landed on the responsibility angle.
Embiid getting this&nbsp;team to a top-10 finish defensively was impressive. Having the offensive year he had, on the shot diet he lived on, was also wildly impressive. Only Stephen Curry and 22 games of 1982-83 Adrian Dantley have posted more efficient 30-point seasons than Embiid, and the Sixers big man averaged more points than both of them.
I geniunely don't think you could go wrong with any of these three. Jokic's team performed better with him on the floor than Giannis or Embiid; Giannis paced both guys in wins and win percentage in addition to his excellence.
The combination of production, efficiency, winning and responsibility gave Embiid the narrow win for me.

Nekias Duncan narrows down his final candidates for the 2022-23 NBA MVP and picks the league's most valuable player.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award selections: Who wins MVP?

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid made a fadeaway jumper from the foul line with 1.1 seconds left to give the Philadelphia 76ers a 120-119 comeback victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
Embiid scored 39 points, shaking off a double-team from Jusuf Nurkic and Damian Lillard on the winner. The basket gave Philadelphia its first lead of the game they trailed by 21 points late in the first half.
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Joel Embiid with the SPINNING GAME-WINNER🚨😮&zwj;💨<a href="https://t.co/BEIYd6ONqB">pic.twitter.com/BEIYd6ONqB</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1634381709729845250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Portland&rsquo;s last-second after a timeout was tipped away on the inbound play, with Lillard&rsquo;s shot coming after the horn.
James Harden added 19 points for Philadelphia despite struggling from the floor. Tyrese Maxey and DeAnthony Melton each had 13 to help the 76ers win their fourth straight game.
Anfernee Simons led Portland with 34 points on 8-of-12 shooting from 3-point range. Jeremi Grant had 24 points and Lillard 22.

Joel Embiid made a fadeaway jumper with 1.1 seconds left to give the 76ers a 120-119 comeback victory over the Blazers on Friday.

76ers edge Blazers 120-119 thanks to Joel Embiid’s late jumper

While many are spending the NBA All-Star break getting much-needed rest, the Washington Wizards are doing a little bit of housekeeping.&nbsp;
First, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Wizards and wing Will Barton have agreed to a contract buyout, making Barton a free agent &mdash; assuming he clears waivers.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Washington Wizards guard Will Barton has completed a contract buyout ahead of the March 1 deadline to become eligible to join a playoff roster on a new team, sources tell ESPN. Barton will become a free agent once he clears waivers.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1628102734481358849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>

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As noted by Wojnarowski, it was important for the two sides to agree to something before March 1. Players must be waived &mdash; or bought out &mdash; of their deals by that date to remain eligible for playoff basketball this season. Since he was waived before that deadline, Barton can be signed at any point up until the postseason begins and still be able to play.
It's been a quiet season for Barton in Washington. He averaged just 19.6 minutes per game for the Wizards, his lowest workload since his third season in the league. In those minutes, he averaged 7.7 points on 50.5% True Shooting, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists (1.1 turnovers) per contest. Barton drained a healthy 38.4% of his threes, but posted career-low efficiency inside the arc (39.5% on twos).
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To say that Barton has underwhelmed defensively would be selling it short. By virtually any measure, the Wizards suffered leaks while he was on the floor. Per Second Spectrum, possessions featuring Barton defending a ball-screen, isolation, off-screen action or drive all produced at least 1.1 points per possession (PPP). Barton's Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus (DEPM) this season is minus-6.5; it's easily the worst mark of his career, and a number that ranks in the first percentile.&nbsp;
Barton has had stretches of solid play on that end during his career; even if looking at DEPM, Barton was roughly a neutral defender across his last three seasons in Denver (plus-0.7, minus-0.9, minus-0.4). For a playoff hopeful looking to add him, it'll have to bank on a bit of rejuvenation that a winning situation can provide.&nbsp;
If the defense holds enough &mdash; or if the infrastructure around him is strong &mdash; Barton can still add value as a secondary creator. Barton has made roughly 37% of his threes over the past seven seasons on solid volume (4.8 attempts, 5.8 per 36 minutes), including a 39.0% clip on catch-and-shoot threes. His 33.7% clip on pull-up or stepback threes is slightly above league-average (33.3%) during that timeframe, per Second Spectrum.
For teams looking for a shot in the arm in terms of creation, Barton could provide that. The Milwaukee Bucks, for example, are a team that:
1) Is in contention
2) Has a strong defensive infrastructure
3) Has roster space available if they want to give it a shot.
Not long after we got word of Barton's buyout with the Wizards, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported the Wizards would be converting guard Jordan Goodwin's two-way deal into a standard contract.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Washington Wizards plan to convert two-way guard Jordan Goodwin to standard NBA contract, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>. Goodwin earns new deal, emerging as a rotation player this season for Wizards.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1628111779464351744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>

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It's a smart bit of business from the Wizards, and well-deserved for Goodwin.&nbsp;
His numbers don't jump off the page: 6.3 points on 54.2% TS, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists (0.9 turnovers) and 1.0 steals per game.
But Goodwin has been a breath of fresh air in the guard room this season. He's been a patient ball-screen navigator, either chewing up space to get inside or quickly swinging the ball to the next option when he doesn't have anything. There's probably room for a little more exploration on his end; he sometimes finds himself pulling up a dribble early to look for kick-outs.&nbsp;
Goodwin has knocked down nearly 39% of his threes this year, though that's come on low volume (1.7 attempts). Being able to solidify himself as a reliable shooter likely cements him as a no-doubt-about-it rotation piece in the NBA.
Goodwin's calling card for now, however, is his on-ball defense. His combination of size, strength and on-ball tenacity &mdash; watching him get in a guy's jersey right before the screener comes up is a subtle joy in his minutes &mdash; makes him an irritating player to deal with at the point of attack.&nbsp;
His workload (40 games, 18.1 minutes) and the Wizards' place in the standings (No. 9, 4.0 games out of 6th) will work against him when award talk really ramps up. On a per-minute basis, he's proven worthy of making an "honorable mentions" list due to his work.&nbsp;
For one (1) reference point: Goodwin's DEPM (plus-1.6) puts him on par with Derrick White and Marcus Smart, and slightly ahead of guys like De'Anthony Melton (plus-1.4), Jrue Holiday (plus-1.2), Jose Alvarado (plus-0.9) and Fred VanVleet (plus-0.7).&nbsp;
I'm excited to see more from Goodwin in the second half* of the year.

Nekias Duncan reacts to Will Barton's buyout and Washington's decision to convert Jordan Goodwin to a standard deal.

Wizards waive Will Barton, convert Jordan Goodwin to standard contract

The trade deadline is fast approaching and the Memphis Grizzlies have to make an important decision.
Grizzlies general manager and executive vice president Zach Kleiman has been doing his best Marvel impression by living in a multiverse, attempting to walk out two timelines: contending and developing.
The core of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane is in its third year together and, when healthy, is one of the top trios in the entire NBA. More importantly, only Jackson is beyond his rookie contract, as Morant and Bane are both still on rookie deals. This fact has led to a polarizing debate surrounding the Grizzlies.
When Memphis knocked the Golden State Warriors out of the first NBA Play-In Tournament, everyone raved at the "ahead-of-schedule" nature of this team. Last season, the team traded away Jonas Valanciunas for Steven Adams and a shot at developing Ziaire Williams and Santi Aldama. Kleiman was trying to develop ancillary pieces while still putting a competitive product on the floor.
Morant and the Grizzlies surprised everyone, finishing with the second-best record in the league and pushing the eventual-champion Warriors to six games in arguably Golden State's toughest series last year. The "ahead-of-schedule" Grizzlies were still given a pass because they were young and overacheiving.&nbsp;
Memphis is still the second seed in the Western Conference despite losing eight of their last nine contests. Injuries have been a huge factor as Jackson (17 games), Bane (22), Adams (10) and Morant (8) have all missed time due to injury. With the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, the question is whether Kleiman will push the chips in and go for a title piece this year or continue on his multiverse timeline.
Re-signing Adams and Tyus Jones suggests Memphis is interested in contending. Trading away De'Anthony Melton, who struggled mightily in the postseason, suggests the same. Playing Ziaire Williams, David Roddy and Jake LaRavia is the organization attempting to sneak in development. It makes sense, as you have to find the right role players on affordable deals (in this case, rookie contracts) who can have winning impact around your big three.&nbsp;
But even if it makes sense, there is also the flip side. At some point, you are no longer ahead of schedule and overachieving. At some point, the schedule and timeline eventually readjust to the progress that has been made, and a new schedule begins. The Grizzlies are no longer up-and-coming. They are here and the league has adjusted, and so must Memphis.
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There have been social-media posts circling that the Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans both do not want their counterpart to land O.G. Anunoby, and that Memphis would be a perfect fit for OG. This Grizzlies front office has historically moved in silence, and nothing suggests it will overpay in a bidding war for a player who might&nbsp;move the needle toward a title.
Over the next few days, Kleiman will have to decide what is most important for the franchise entrusted to his leadership. The Grizzlies clearly need shooting (still) and perimeter defending &mdash; two things every team is looking for at all times.&nbsp;
Morant, Bane and Jackson are non-starters in any trade conversation (as they should be). They are a core that meshes beautifully. It's the pieces surrounding them that Kleiman has to be willing to part ways with.
One of the most polarizing players in the NBA is Dillon Brooks; you either hate him or you love him. He is on an expiring contract, with his days in Memphis possibly winding away. Brooks' antics on the court and refusal to accept his spot in the pecking order offensively at times have led many to wonder whether he is a long-term fit with the Grizzlies.
With Bane due for a near-max payday, Brooks could be traded at the deadline for assets or given the Kyle Anderson treatment, using his contributions for this run and letting his deal expire at season's end.
Then, there is Jones, who is often lauded as the best backup point guard in the NBA and basically a health-insurance policy for Morant. Memphis needs to send Tyus somewhere he can start and bring in a bigger combo guard who can help Bane run the non-Morant minutes.&nbsp;
Adams and Danny Green are the veterans on the roster who also have extremely tradeable contracts if Kleiman were to do some type of big-game hunting. Adams' presence has allowed Jackson to develop into the Defensive Player of the Year candidate he has become, but at some point, JJJ needs to become the full-time starting 5.&nbsp;
Williams and Xavier Tillman are pieces that Memphis should be willing to include to upgrade their roster. And as well as Memphis has done drafting the last few years, they should now be at the point in this process where first-round picks are on the table.&nbsp;
OUTLINING POTENTIAL TRADE IDEAS
I'm no trade-machine guru, but something along the lines of this framework makes sense for both teams:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/fanspo-nba-trade-machine-snap_2-6-2023_1-05-25pm.png" alt="" width="685" height="337" />
Memphis gets to keep its primary defender in Brooks while adding a 24-year-old scorer to come off the bench. If the Toronto Raptors begin a fire sale, they get an expiring contract, two second-round picks (<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjg0d7A8oP9AhVuFlkFHQ-iAGkQFnoECEQQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fhoopshype.com%2F2023%2F02%2F03%2Fgary-trent-jr-s-trade-value-at-a-protected-first-round-pick-or-two-good-second-rounders%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw2EDYmp9Yp1qneXxEEdRIt_" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trent's reported projected value</a>) and a player who fits their mold of lenghty wings.
The Grizz bench unit is currently 12th in the NBA in scoring at 35.5 points per contest, but is a minus-313 in scoring for the season. They are also 25th in three-point percentage (32.4%) in the league. Adding Gary Trent Jr. could bolster a glaring weakness if Memphis is to be a legitimate contender.&nbsp;
In the interest of getting assets in return for Brooks, Kleiman would likely be choosing to remain on the course of developing players, as Morant, Jackson and Bane are not yet in their primes. Memphis can recoup cheaper, more controllable assets by moving Dillon:
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/fanspo-nba-trade-machine-snap_2-7-2023_8-25-52am.png" alt="" width="686" height="275" />
In this scenario, Memphis takes a shot on Cam Reddish while finding the eventual Jones replacement in Immanuel Quickley. The Knicks get a perfect-fit player to go with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle in Brooks as they attempt to make a run in the Eastern Conference this postseason, plus a lottery-protected first-rounder from the Grizzlies via the Warriors (from the Andre Iguodala trade in July 2019.)
Speaking of replacing Jones, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins could use a defensive upgrade in the backcourt as well someone with a little more size:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/fanspo-nba-trade-machine-snap_2-7-2023_8-55-00am.png" alt="" width="686" height="275" />
The Chicago Bulls are at a crossroads, and if they decide to start rebuilding the makeup of their roster, bringing in Jones as their starting point guard would not be the worst idea. The Grizzlies get two combo guards in Alex Caruso and Coby White in this trade framework.
White is playing the least amount of minutes of his career this season, and could afford a change of scenery. Caruso is a perfect fit for Memphis, as an athletic guard who can defend on the perimeter. This move also fits Kleiman's desire to flirt with two timelines.
These three trades could be a sequence of moves done at once, but there's a next-to-zero chance Memphis makes multiple moves at the deadline, if any. However, there are peripheral moves to be made for Memphis because it seems clear that standing pat and riding it out is no longer the right choice for this franchise.&nbsp;

Justin Lewis explains how the Grizzlies have to move ahead with contention and suggests three possible trades that could help.

Proposing 3 potential trades that could spark the Memphis Grizzlies

Only 18 times in NBA history has a player averaged 20-plus points, 10-plus assists and 5-plus rebounds per game across an entire season. James Harden and Nikola Jokic are on pace to join the list this year.
Three NBA players &mdash; Russell Westbrook, Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas &mdash; have put up at least 20 points and 10 assists per game over four or more separate seasons in their career. Harden is on pace to be the fourth.
Harden missing out on his 11th NBA All-Star appearance is simply a travesty. Maybe it's because the scoring volume is down, or because he's no longer the top bucket-getting option on his team. Whatever the case may be, he deserves applause for the way he has adapted with age and in a new role to help Philadelphia reinvent its path to contention.&nbsp;
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6 threes for <a href="https://twitter.com/JHarden13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JHarden13</a> and call it a SZN HIGH! <a href="https://t.co/OZF4WCWR1i">pic.twitter.com/OZF4WCWR1i</a>
&mdash; Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1620969675780935684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a>
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Harden is currently posting 21.0 points, 10.9 assists and 6.4 rebounds per contest. His mark of 14.9 field goal attempts per game is the lowest since his days on the Oklahoma City Thunder, but his overall efficiency is on par with his prime years in Houston &mdash; albeit in different forms. And with a dominant scorer in Joel Embiid by his side, Harden has reached new heights as a table-setter.
At 33 years old, Harden doesn't attack the basket with the same ferocity as his peak years. Only 24% of his shot attempts are coming at the rim (career-low), per Cleaning the Glass, and he's driving the basketball 13.3 times per game (lowest since 2013-14), according to Second Spectrum. They're still high numbers for most NBA players, but low by Harden's standards. His straight-line speed, probably still underrated in his heyday, has been sapped a great deal.
That's okay. Harden has been&nbsp;relatively&nbsp;confined to the perimeter, and he's made it work with a 38.8% three-point clip, his best since 2011-12. One key reason for the jump: Harden is canning a red-hot 47.7% of his attempts off the catch, which make up over one-eighth (12.7%) of his total shot diet, according to PBP Stats. That's the largest share of catch-and-shoot treys he's logged since 2016-17 and almost double last year's frequency.&nbsp;
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James Harden&rsquo;s reaction to making three catch-and-shoot 3s was pretty funny. And then, more serious: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been working on it, so that&rsquo;s pretty exciting. You don&rsquo;t do too much, just catch-and-shoot it. You put the work in, I work on it every day.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/bH9p2iGTNX">pic.twitter.com/bH9p2iGTNX</a>
&mdash; Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) <a href="https://twitter.com/rich_hofmann/status/1620982628995448832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a>
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This isn't to say Harden has completely disavowed his iso-ball ways. According to Synergy, he takes the third-most isolation possessions per game (6.2) in the NBA. But those possessions are less taxing because he has a co-superstar beside him; Embiid actually logs a slightly higher isolation volume (6.3). And Harden doesn't have to will himself to the basket at his age &mdash; Embiid is also collapsing defenses.
The Harden-to-Embiid assist combination is the most popular connection in the league this season. The Beard has hit up The Process 150 times, per PBP Stats, including 71 Embiid buckets at the rim. Their 40-assist lead on the second-most prominent combo of Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield (110) is as large as that duo's edge between it and the 31st-ranked coupling (a tie between Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett, Killian Hayes and Bojan Bogdanovic, and Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton).&nbsp;
Meanwhile, though much less often, Embiid is the most frequent passer when Harden picks up an assisted bucket. They've teamed up 19 times this season, including 11 Harden makes from beyond the arc.
The Embiid-Harden pick-and-roll has boosted their ascension to perhaps the most dynamic two-man action tandem in the league. But Harden's comfort in Philly is also boosting the supporting cast &mdash; most exemplified in Tobias Harris.&nbsp;
Harris, now 30 years old, has quietly settled into an efficient complementary role while Harden, Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton initiate most offensive possessions. He's shooting a career-best 58% from two-point range. Harris' at-rim frequency (34%), field goal percentage (69%) and assisted-make rate (62%) are all the highest of his four-plus seasons with the Sixers, according to Cleaning the Glass.
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Less than a minute into the second half, James Harden records his 71st career triple-double with this dime to Tobias Harris 🔥<a href="https://t.co/uC4MpbmmYv">pic.twitter.com/uC4MpbmmYv</a> <a href="https://t.co/VEgsAzQYG2">https://t.co/VEgsAzQYG2</a>
&mdash; ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1612200618436730880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The scoring opportunities get easier with Harden on the floor. The former MVP sends 18.1% of his passes to Harris, who in turn makes 59.2% of his ensuing twos and 37.7% of his threes. Harris has typically averaged 8-10 drives per game over the course of his prime years vs. his 6.7 drives this season. The creation burden has been lessened and the efficiency has increased.
It helps that the Sixers added De'Anthony Melton to space the floor and act as a secondary ball-handler, and Maxey certainly gives them another sharp driving punch. But Harden has made everyone, including Harris and Embiid, better since finding his comfort level on the team.
Harden's average of 92.7 touches per game ranks third in the NBA and is still on par with his typical touch rate throughout his career. He's still the ignition for Philly's ninth-ranked offense and a matchup nightmare when he's on the floor, even if the picture looks a little different.&nbsp;
Whether it's the lack of All-Star recognition or the general lack of buzz, Harden's superstardom has taken a back seat in the national consciousness. Don't make that same mistake.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>A cool blocked shot locations graphic from Edoardo Vergani. Look at Bol Bol!</li>
</ul>
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NBA: Blocked shot location of the 12 players with most blocks during this season! What pops out? Let me know! <a href="https://t.co/shFXLWFonW">pic.twitter.com/shFXLWFonW</a>
&mdash; Edoardo Vergani (@ed_vergani) <a href="https://twitter.com/ed_vergani/status/1621863738931400705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Brandon Miller is such a fascinating NBA Draft prospect:</li>
</ul>
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Brandon Miller is putting up unprecedented versatility and efficiency in his jumpshot diet for a college big wing. Here's how he compares to some other 6'7+ shooters - Jabari Smith, Keegan Murray, Saddiq Bey, Brandon Ingram, and Khris Middleton. <a href="https://t.co/DUNsKNXfb4">pic.twitter.com/DUNsKNXfb4</a>
&mdash; Mark (@MarkC_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkC_NBA/status/1621229412091039744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>The Pacers are an absolutely chaotic basketball team, as shown in this table from Tom Bassine:</li>
</ul>
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Net rating in each quarter. Best by Q: 1 - Nuggets 2 - Pacers 3 - Thunder 4 - Cavs <a href="https://t.co/0dKf9ChDbI">pic.twitter.com/0dKf9ChDbI</a>
&mdash; Tom Bassine (@tvbassine) <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine/status/1622230703017525249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2023</a></blockquote>

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James Harden is on pace to be the third player to average 20 points and 10 assists in five seasons. Ethan Fuller praises his play.

NBA Stats Notebook: Giving James Harden the flowers he deserves

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; LeBron James became the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 career points, but Joel Embiid had 35 points and 11 rebounds while the Philadelphia 76ers held off the Los Angeles Lakers 113-112 Sunday night for their seventh win in nine games.
Russell Westbrook failed to get off a clean shot or a pass in the final second under defense from Embiid, allowing the 76ers to hold on for their fourth straight road win. Westbrook claimed he was fouled by Embiid, who disagreed.
James put up 35 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the depleted Lakers, who have lost three straight after a five-game winning streak. James surpassed 38,000 points with a jumper that was part of his 8-for-9 start with 16 points in the first quarter.
&ldquo;It's just frustrating to get into those positions and not be able to come out with the victory,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;We got the stop, gave ourselves a chance to win, and didn't execute. ... We're playing good basketball. We're just not winning games.&rdquo;
James Harden added 24 points and 13 assists for Philadelphia, which swept the season series and beat Los Angeles for the sixth straight time.
&ldquo;Wasn't one of our better games, especially defensively,&rdquo; 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;We had no pace. We were tired. As a coach, you're saying, &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s just get to the fourth quarter and see if we can win it.'&rdquo;
Georges Niang hit a 3-pointer on an assist from Embiid with 1:28 left to put Philadelphia up 111-109. A lengthy video review then overruled a call and resulted in a turnover for James before Embiid drained a 14-foot jumper with 45 seconds left.
Troy Brown Jr. hit a corner 3-pointer to trim Philly's lead to one point, and Embiid missed a jumper with Westbrook in his face.
The Lakers didn't called timeout as Westbrook drove to the hoop with a chance to win it. He couldn't get off a shot or a pass, with an apparent crosscourt pass attempt deflecting off Niang's hands before time ran out.
&ldquo;(Embiid) was grabbing my wrist,&rdquo; Westbrook said. &ldquo;I couldn't get my hand up to shoot. ... Couldn't get the ball up. It's frustrating, but I know the game didn't come down to that one shot.&rdquo;
Embiid disagreed with Westbrook's claim about the final possession.
&ldquo;I don't think I fouled him,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;Physical play on both sides. You could've called a foul on the other end, too. He was unlucky because he lost the ball. I would say he was unlucky.&rdquo;
Westbrook had 20 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, extending his NBA record with his 198th career triple-double. Westbrook has four triple-doubles off the bench this season, putting him past Detlef Schrempf for the career record for triple-doubles as a reserve.
38K
James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only members of the NBA&rsquo;s 38,000-point club, and James will pass Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points) atop the career scoring list next month if he remains on his current pace. James didn't want to talk about the milestone afterward.
TIP-INS
76ers: Rivers used Embiid and the mildly ailing Harden (left heel) and Tobias Harris (left knee) even on the second night of a back-to-back that began in Utah. ... De'Anthony Melton, the San Fernando Valley native and USC product, went scoreless in 21 minutes.
Lakers: Anthony Davis has now been out for a month, missing his 15th straight game with a foot injury. ... The Lakers used their 24th different starting lineup this season. ... Patrick Beverley (illness) missed his second straight game. Lonnie Walker (knee) and Austin Reaves (hamstring) are still out.
&nbsp;

Joel Embiid had 35 points and 11 rebounds while the Philadelphia 76ers held off the Los Angeles Lakers 113-112.

LeBron hits 38K, but Embiid leads 76ers past Lakers 113-112

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Anthony Melton hit a go-ahead 3-pointer late in overtime and James Harden scored 26 points to help a Philadelphia 76ers team playing without Joel Embiid beat the Indiana Pacers 129-126 on Wednesday night.
Melton put the Sixers ahead 125-124 with 2:16 left in OT. He finished with 19 points.
Montrezl Harrell followed with a rim-rattling dunk, and the Sixers held on for their 11th straight home win. Harrell also had 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting.
Embiid, who had been playing with a sore lower back, sat out with a sore left foot. Embiid hurt his foot in Monday&rsquo;s win against New Orleans and was ruled out hours before tipoff against Indiana.
Embiid is day to day, with missed games about the only aspect slowing down his MVP push. Embiid won the NBA scoring title last season, and his 33.5 average this season has him just behind Dallas star Luka Doncic's league-best 34.3 average.
He was named Eastern Conference player of the month for December. Embiid led all players in scoring at 35.4 points in the month on 55% shooting from the floor and 42% from 3-point range.
Without Embiid, the Sixers needed more production off the bench &mdash; and got it, notably from backup center Harrell. Harrell made all five baskets in the first half and scored 12 points.
Buddy Hield led the Pacers with 24 points, and Bennedict Mathurin had 19.
The Pacers stormed back in the fourth, keyed by Hield&rsquo;s 3 that pulled them within one and a Mathurin bucket on a goaltending call during a 10-0 run.
The Sixers pulled ahead on Melton&rsquo;s fourth 3 of the game, but Hield hit a 3 and Myles Turner scored for a 120-116 lead.
Without Embiid, the Sixers gamely tied the game in regulation on Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris buckets in the final 37 seconds. Harris scored 19 points. Maxey had 17 in his return to the starting lineup after he missed about six weeks with a broken foot.
TIP-INS
Pacers: Former 76ers guard and Pittsburgh native T.J. McConnell wore a Damar Hamlin jersey to the game. &ldquo;I just wanted to show support for a fellow Pittsburgh native and athlete, and let him and his family know that all of us here are thinking of him and praying for him,&rdquo; McConnell said.
76ers: Harden has at least 20 points and five assists in six straight games. ... Won their third OT game of the season ... Improved to 15-1 after leading at halftime.
&nbsp;

De’Anthony Melton hit a go-ahead 3-pointer late to help the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 129-126 in overtime.

Without Embiid, 76ers push past Pacers 129-126 in OT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid had 42 points and 11 rebounds, James Harden scored 27 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat a New Orleans Pelicans team that lost Zion Williamson to a strained right hamstring, 120-111 on Monday night.
Williamson scored 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting through three quarters before he left for the locker room in the fourth. Williamson pulled up on a fastbreak and handed off the ball late in the third. Williamson, averaging 26 points, gingerly ran to the corner and lingered on the court for a bit before he was lifted from the game. Williamson&rsquo;s career has been defined by injuries and dominance, notably a career-best 42 points last week against Minnesota.
There was no immediate word if Williamson would miss any time.
Without Williamson, the Pelicans couldn&rsquo;t keep up with the 76ers.
Embiid pushed the lead in the fourth on a driving, crashing layup and spun around like a top on his rear end for dramatic effect. He sank the free throw for a 106-96 lead. He did walk gingerly to the bench moment later but stayed in the game.
De&rsquo;Anthony Melton buried a 3 for the 76ers for a 113-107 lead and Harden came right back and hit another 3 to seal their 10th straight home win.
It&rsquo;s a shame for NBA fans the teams don&rsquo;t each other again this season. CJ McCollum hit a franchise-best 11 3s and Williamson added 36 in the Pelicans&rsquo; 127-116 home victory on Friday night. It was the second banger in four nights, only this time in Philly.
McCollum scored 26 points.
Williamson, Harden and Embiid all put on a show through the first three quarters. Even 76ers reserve Georges Niang hit five 3s off the bench to get the home crowd roaring as the public address announcer bellowed &ldquo;Bang, bang, Niang!&rdquo;
Embiid, playing with a sore lower back, continued his pursuit of a second straight scoring title with 15-of-24 shooting and he made all 10 free throws. Harden was crafty in the second quarter when he scored 10 points on and-1s. He had a four-point play in that run and two three-point plays, including a layup that saw him scoot past the stanchion and high-five fans.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Coach Willie Green spent the first seven seasons of his playing career with the Sixers. The Sixers weren&rsquo;t all that good during Green&rsquo;s tenure but he deeply appreciated playing with Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s only one AI. He had a way with people,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;He had a big heart. Sometimes that could be misunderstood. We all loved him as teammates.&rdquo;
76ers: G Tyrese Maxey, normally a starter, received a rousing ovation when he checked in late in the first quarter. Maxey had 12 points as the Sixers ease back in the lineup after he missed six weeks with a broken foot.
&nbsp;

Joel Embiid had 42 points and 11 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 120-111.

Embiid leads 76ers past Pelicans, Williamson hurts hamstring

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Joel EmbIid had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his fifth career triple-double and the Philadelphia 76ers never trailed in beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 115-96 on Saturday night.
Tobias Harris hit his first seven shots and scored 23 points for Philadelphia. Harris scored 16 points in 16 minutes in the first half to help the 76ers take a 69-43 lead.
&ldquo;I realized I didn&rsquo;t miss a shot in the first half and then I came out in the second half and missed my first shot so that was done with,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;In the second half, we were a little slow and sluggish, but in the fourth quarter, I thought we had more energy and life to get stops and close out the game the way that we wanted. When you&rsquo;re up like that and have that type of cushion you can get a little relaxed.&rdquo;
With James Harden sitting out because of injury management on his right foot, Tulsa product Shake Milton got the start for Philadelphia and scored 18 points. DeAnthony Melton added 17 points. Their production, along with Harris&rsquo; hot start impressed Sixers coach Doc Rivers.
&ldquo;It was big for us. It set the tone. Especially the way we played last night, getting the cushion helped us,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;We had lost two in a row. Our team doesn&rsquo;t like that. We knew we were missing guys so I think our guys had the proper amount of fear going into this game. That&rsquo;s a good thing.&rdquo;
Josh Giddey led Oklahoma City with 20 points and nine rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 14 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
TIP-INS
76ers: P.J. Tucker and Tyrese Maxey also sat out for Philadelphia. Tucker is dealing with a left knee issue. Maxey rested on the second night of a back-to-back after returning from a fractured right foot.
Thunder: Lost to the 76ers for the sixth straight time dating to January 2019. ... With forward Alexsej Pokusevski sidelined by injury, the Thunder started rookies Jaylin Williams and Jalen Williams together for the second game in a row.
UP NEXT
76ers: Host New Orleans on Monday night.
Thunder: Host Boston on Tuesday night.

Joel EmbIid had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as the 76ers never trailed in beating the Thunder 115-96 on Saturday night.

Embiid has triple-double in 76ers' road victory over Thunder

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid had 22 points and 10 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers used a balanced scoring attack to extend their winning streak to six games with a 113-93 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
&ldquo;We like to work together,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;We think we have a top two, top three defense in the league. Offensively, I think we're finding ways even when we're not making shots up there. We just have come together and everyone is understanding their role.&rdquo;
Tobias Harris had 17 points, despite early foul trouble, and James Harden added 15 points and eight assists for the Sixers. Philadelphia got double-figure scoring from six players, including De'Anthony Melton (12), Georges Niang (11) and Montrezl Harrell (10).
&ldquo;We're just staying focused and locked into the goal, which is stringing together a few wins,&rdquo; Harris said.
The Sixers' six-game winning streak is their longest since a seven-game run from Dec. 26-Jan 10 in the 2021-22 season. Philadelphia has won eight straight games at home after starting the season 5-5 in their own building.
&ldquo;We're playing well, but we have a lot of work to do,&rdquo; Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said.
Detroit was led by Jaden Ivey, who followed up his career-best 30 points on Tuesday night with 16 points. Killian Hayes scored 12 and Saddiq Bey 11 for the Pistons, who have lost seven of their last eight games.
&ldquo;We kept shooting ourselves in the foot and we didn't take good care of the basketball,&rdquo; Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;Down the stretch, we couldn't cut into it, but we couldn't close it.&rdquo;
Philadelphia overcame some offensive struggles with defensive stinginess. The 76ers forced 22 turnovers and held the Pistons to 32.1% shooting from the floor in the third quarter. That allowed the Sixers to weather an offensive drought and maintain a double-digit lead.
It also allowed Rivers to give some of his starters a much needed breather. Even during this six-game winning streak, most of the Sixers starters have been forced to go deep minutes. Two of the previous five wins in the streak &mdash; against the Lakers and Raptors &mdash; featured overtime games after Philadelphia had held a sizable lead.
Embiid played 34 minutes. Harden totaled 32 minutes. Harris and PJ Tucker (10 rebounds with no points) were on the floor for only 21 minutes.
&ldquo;We want to get to the point where we know we have the game in the fourth quarter,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;We know we're going to play great teams where this is not going to be the case. But as a group, we know the teams we should know to have a lead and maintain a lead to have comfort in the fourth quarter to get guys less minutes.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pistons: Hayes started for Detroit despite being labeled as a game-time decision with a left knee contusion. ... Detroit has lost nine straight at Wells Fargo Center, dating to March 4, 2017. ... Jalen Duren had his streak of seven straight games with 11 or more rebounds snapped. It was tied with Dwight Howard for the longest in NBA history by a rookie.
76ers: Furkan Korkmaz, who has missed the last two games with a non-COVID illness, returned to the Philadelphia bench and was available Wednesday night, playing late in the contest, when the game was secure. ... There is still no timeline on Tyrese Maxey's possible return. Maxey, the Sixers' No. 3 scorer from the guard position, has missed the last 15 games due to a fracture in his foot.
&nbsp;

Joel Embiid had 22 points and 10 rebounds and the 76ers extended their winning streak to six games with a 113-93 win over the Pistons.

Embiid leads balanced attack, 76ers beat Pistons, 113-93

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid scored 31 points, James Harden had 21 points and 15 assists, and the Philadelphia 76ers scored 80 points in the first half and cruised to a 123-103 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.
Tobias Harris also scored 21 points while adding nine assists for the Sixers, who have won three straight to start a seven-game homestand.
&ldquo;We're playing pretty well offensively,&rdquo; said Embiid, who has scored 30 or more points in five straight games. &ldquo;James is doing a great job getting everyone easy shots. My teammates are doing a fantastic job moving the ball and being in the right spots. That's what we've got to do &mdash; all we have to do is stay healthy. But we're not there yet. We have a long way to go.&rdquo;
Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 22 points. Sacramento has lost three of the first four games of its six-game East Coast swing.
&ldquo;I saw a little clip on news on the late Mike Leach (the Mississippi State football coach who died Monday night) saying 'It's not sweet unless its hard,'&rdquo; Kings coach Mike Brown said. &ldquo;The NBA year and grind is really hard and we're going to have to experience the downs like we have ups in this short time together.&rdquo;
Two nights after Embiid scored 53 points in a victory over Charlotte, Harden and Harris took advantage of Sacramento's defensive focus on the big man. With two defenders often on Embiid, Harris camped out in the corner for wide-open 3s while Harden dished from the top of the key until his own shot got warm in the second quarter.
&ldquo;The ball was moving and the floor was wide open,&rdquo; Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;That's exactly what we've been talking about. They are moving the ball and playing together."
Philadelphia led 80-55 at halftime, thanks in part to a 20-9 edge in fast-break points. Fourteen of those 20 points came off Sacramento turnovers.
&ldquo;We had a ton of breakdowns, we didn't have a lot of help on drives and they got to the rim very easily,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;We have to figure some things out and dig a little deeper.&rdquo;
The 76ers shot 51.2% &mdash; the third straight game they've been better than 50% from the floor. They only topped 50% once in the nine games before that. They also recorded a season-high 34 assists.
&ldquo;We got settled in and we know what we're trying to accomplish possession by possession,&rdquo; Harden said. &ldquo;That's the most important thing. If everyone is trying to accomplish different agendas, the team is not going to be successful. Knowing what we're trying to accomplish and doing what we have to do on both sides of the ball is critical.&rdquo;
Malik Monk had 16 points off the bench for the Kings.
TIP-INS
Kings: De'Aaron Fox (right foot soreness) was back in the starting lineup and finished with 13 points. ... Fox was hurt during a loss to Milwaukee last Wednesday and missed two subsequent games.
76ers: De'Anthony Melton was held out with lower back tightness. Melton has been starting in place of Tyrese Maxey and scored 33 points on Friday night against the Lakers. ... Maxey (left foot fracture) has not been cleared to run at full speed. ... The Sixers scored 80 or more points in the first half for the 14th time in franchise history. Their previous high this season was 67 against Orlando on Nov. 17.
&nbsp;

Joel Embiid scored 31 points and the Philadelphia 76ers cruised to a 123-103 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Sixers cruise past Kings 123-103 behind 80-point 1st half

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid had 53 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 131-113 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night.
With the home crowd serenading him with MVP! chants, Embiid became the first player in the NBA this season to post two 50-plus point performances, adding Sunday's performance to a league-best 59-point effort on Nov. 13 against Utah.
&ldquo;The ball just found me,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;I thought we moved the ball well all night and the ball just found me.&rdquo;
Embiid became the third player in Sixers history to have multiple 50-point games in the same season, joining Allen Iverson (2000-01 and 2004-05) and Wilt Chamberlain (1965-66 and 1967-68). It is also the 30th game in Embiid's career with 40 points and 10 rebounds. The only other player in franchise history to accomplish that feat was Chamberlain.
&ldquo;We won,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;It's good to do that when you win. ... I'm just happy that I'm contributing when we are winning.&rdquo;
James Harden had 19 points, 16 assists, and nine rebounds to help Embiid's effort.
&ldquo;He was in attack mode for the entire game,&rdquo; Harden said. &ldquo;He made scoring look easy tonight. He was aggressive getting to the basket and his jumper was falling.&rdquo;
Tobias Harris scored 17 points and De'Anthony Melton added 12 for Philadelphia, which shot 55.4%.
&ldquo;We didn't run, but we played with pace and got open shots,&rdquo; Sixers coach Doc Rivers said.
Charlotte was led by Kelly Oubre Jr. and Terry Rozier, who each scored 29 points. The Hornets have lost five straight games.
&ldquo;We had good intent tonight,&rdquo; Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. &ldquo;The first six or seven minutes of the game, we had good defense. Our transition defense was a problem tonight and we have to fix that. Besides Joel, that was the story of the first half. But we did a lot of good things."
Embiid took the game over in the final three minutes of the second quarter, scoring 15 of his 28 first-half points in that stretch by exploiting a mismatch against Hornets forward Mason Plumlee. On one play, Embiid drove down the left side of the lane from the foul line, extended high over Plumlee and threw down a thunderous dunk that charged up the Wells Fargo Center crowd. It was part of a three straight possessions stretch that ended with Embiid scoring and going to the line for the old-fashioned 3-point play.
&ldquo;We have a saying that you have to feed the hot hand,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;... You got to keep feeding them until the defense stops it once or twice or three times in that situation. I just kept scoring and they just kept giving me the ball.&rdquo;
The Hornets (7-20) stayed within striking distance through the early part of the fourth quarter, thanks to Oubre and Rozier, who were able to drive the lane and get easy looks while being helped by 15 offensive rebounds.
But Embiid put the game out of reach by scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter before being pulled with two minutes left. He finished 20 for 32 from the field and hit all 11 of his free throws.
TIP-INS
Hornets: LaMelo Ball missed his 11th straight game with a left ankle sprain. ... Dennis Smith Jr. was inactive for the ninth time in his last 14 games with a left ankle sprain. ... There was a moment of silence before Sunday's game for Paul Silas, the former Charlotte coach for six seasons who died at the age of 79.
76ers: Foward Georges Niang returned Sunday after missing the last two games due to a right foot bruised. Danuel House Jr. was not available with a left foot laceration.
UP NEXT 
Hornets: Host Detroit on Wednesday.
76ers: Continue their seven-game home stand against Sacramento on Tuesday.

Joel Embiid had 53 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 131-113 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night.

Joel Embiid scores 53, leads 76ers to 131-113 win over Hornets

On his third team in five seasons as an NBA pro, De&rsquo;Anthony Melton has made quite the first impression on the Philadelphia 76ers organization that traded for him on draft night this past June.
&ldquo;I think De'Anthony's a very easy guy to play with,&rdquo; Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday in Cleveland. &ldquo;He doesn't talk a lot. It's pretty quiet, but [he] competes. And he does, he just plays right. He defends. And I think guys who defend always have a little more longitude to do whatever. Guys respect that.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You want to get respect in a locker room? Go stop somebody and you'll get it, and I think De'Anthony has that.&rdquo;
The truth is that Melton has always had that. Constantly seeking out the basketball on the defensive end of the floor, he is like a free safety on fastbreaks and a cornerback in passing lanes, baiting the opposing team into a cross-court pass or an ill-advised decision. That&rsquo;s because his first interceptions came on the gridiron and not a hardwood floor.
&ldquo;I played football my whole life growing up. So yeah, just doing that, I've had instincts,&rdquo; Melton told Basketball News at Philadelphia&rsquo;s morning shootaround. &ldquo;I don't know, that's just who I am. I played everything &mdash; receiver, QB, running back, safety, D-end and corner.&rdquo;
Melton is a hound with a nose for the ball, which explains his <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2023_advanced.html#advanced_stats::stl_pct" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA-leading 3.8% steal percentage</a>. On top of that, he ranks second in the league with 2.2 steals per game and is <a href="https://go.nba.com/idcdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tied for third among his peers</a> with 3.7 deflections per contest.
(Only Toronto Raptors lockdown wing OG Anunoby has more takeaways a night, while Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George and Charlotte Hornets swingman Kelly Oubre are slightly ahead in the deflection average department).&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
While those are impressive numbers, it's what Melton does with his activity that catches your eye. If he doesn&rsquo;t rip it away from his man, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound guard battles for a rebound among taller, bigger guys. Even just getting a hand on the ball and tipping it out to a teammate helps.
&ldquo;It's important. One of the most dangerous shots is an offensive-rebound three,&rdquo; Melton said. &ldquo;So limiting those is important, especially when you play defense for 20-something seconds, then you're mad that you gave up a rebound and now you've gotta go another 14, you know what I mean? It's just toiling on your body.&rdquo;
And when he succeeds in retrieving the rock via a board or swipe, De&rsquo;Anthony launches it down the floor without hesitation as soon as he sees a teammate streaking in transition.
More often than not, it turns into two points.
&ldquo;It's just something I've been doing from the beginning of my career,&rdquo; Melton said. &ldquo;Just trying to get the ball ahead and get an easy basket, especially when you limit them to one shot. A lot of times, you've got the big down here, so it's not a shot-blocker at the other end of the floor. Having a guard get the rebound, it's important 'cause you can throw it up, you could push it early and just get easy baskets.&rdquo;
When asked about the most valuable thing that he brings to the Sixers, Melton pointed to those instincts and his &ldquo;ability to play hard and do whatever it takes to win the game.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Adding to that, providing depth to an ailing roster has been crucial. For one month, Philly&rsquo;s been missing All-Star guard James Harden because of a strained foot; luckily, he's due back soon. Making matters more difficult, Tyrese Maxey hasn't played since Nov. 19 due to a similar injury. His return is still a couple of weeks away.
When Melton initially came in, he was spelling both of them alongside fellow fifth-year guard Shake Milton. But with their teammates on the shelf, the two have taken their blossoming relationship from the bench to the starting five.
&ldquo;I think it's been huge for both of us,&rdquo; Melton said. &ldquo;Even Shake, you see his growth and his confidence grow through these last few games. But just staying aggressive and being confident, I think that's the biggest thing that you can have in this league. When you have those two things, you've just gotta rely on your work.&rdquo;
As a duo, Melton and Milton have looked out for one another and found ways to impact the game in different ways. Shake is averaging nearly 22 points per game on 56.3% from the field over the last seven contests, and has knocked down 13-of-20 shots featuring a dish from Melton. According to NBA.com, De&rsquo;Anthony has <a href="https://go.nba.com/g1ubq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed to him 109 times</a> during that span, assisting on nine of his field goals.
&ldquo;We constantly have conversations. I'm constantly talking to him in terms of my game and his game and what I've seen he can do too,&rdquo; Melton said. &ldquo;So just constant communication, open door between us. What we see, what's open, what's not. What do I see, what does he see, how we feel like they're playing each other [defensively].&nbsp;
&ldquo;Just talking to each other. It could be calming each other down, picking each other up. Just being there for your teammate, that's the most important thing. We want to go out there and play hard and play for our families.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Shake Milton and De'Anthony Melton combined for 25 of the Sixers' 52 1st Half PTS ... These boys understand the assignment, hear me??? <a href="https://t.co/iqFiODhccc">pic.twitter.com/iqFiODhccc</a>
&mdash; Brock Landes (@LandesBrock) <a href="https://twitter.com/LandesBrock/status/1596309411160797184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

As for his own scoring, Melton&rsquo;s been in a bit of a shooting slump as of late; still, he&rsquo;s knocking down 35.5% of his threes and 37.7% of his catch-shoot triples on the season. De'Anthony also recorded double-figure scoring games in each of his first six starts, averaging 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.5 steals a night over that stretch.
Noting the experience they&rsquo;re gaining together presently, Rivers envisions the one-two punch of Melton and Milton for his rotations when the Sixers are fully healthy.
&ldquo;I think it'll be huge later,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;It'll give us opportunities to put second groups out on the floor without any of the key guys on the floor, and that's something we were not doing early in the year. There's always something [positive] that happens when injuries like this happen, and that may be one of 'em.&rdquo;
Coming from the Memphis Grizzlies, Melton was already used to playing with a superstar in Ja Morant. In Philadelphia, that remains unchanged with Joel Embiid.
At the same time, one&rsquo;s a point guard and one&rsquo;s a center.
&ldquo;It's a lot different 'cause now it's like the double [team]'s not coming from the top, it's coming to the bottom. And he's just so dominant and he can get almost any shot he wants. It is different, but... it's Joel Embiid, it's him time,&rdquo; said Melton, who will come back to Memphis with the Sixers on Friday evening.
Coming into training camp, Embiid voiced his desire for Philadelphia to be the top defense in the NBA. To this point, he and his teammates have for the most part lived up to that billing, and it&rsquo;s even more impressive because of the adversity the squad has faced with guys out.
Next man up turned into next men up, and those men have done their jobs.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It's important for us because, I mean, Jo said it at the beginning of the year &mdash; we're trying to become the No. 1 defense, and it's gonna help our offense,&rdquo; Melton said. &ldquo;It's gonna make our offense a lot easier, getting easier buckets, so now, late in the game, we've got to our go-to guys and they're fresh.&rdquo;
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De'Anthony Melton is still in an adjustment period with his new ball club, especially with the injuries piled up. Thrust into the starting lineup and playing over 33 minutes a night since, it is the highest workload he&rsquo;s seen consecutively since becoming an NBA player.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I don't think he loves that part, being the primary ball-handler at times. That's why we try to put [Furkan Korkmaz] on the floor with him or Shake on the floor,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;We'll leave Shake on the floor by himself, but we won't leave De'Anthony. We usually have two guards on the floor.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I think that it's something I'm getting used to. I feel like my role, it's changed a little bit, but not really though,&rdquo; Melton said. &ldquo;They want me to be aggressive either way, so, whatever comes with that, they feel like and have the confidence in me to make the right play.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies catches up with De'Anthony Melton and talks about getting acclimated in Philadelphia, his defensive prowess and more.

Nose for the ball: De'Anthony Melton brings natural instincts to 76ers

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid had a season-high 42 points and 10 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers turned a blistering shooting performance in the first half into a 121-109 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.
&ldquo;The standards are high and I'm OK with that,&rdquo; said Embiid, who shot 14 of 25 in his 28th career game with at least 40 points. &ldquo;I have to do whatever it takes to win. If it takes playing 40 minutes to win or taking 20 or 30 shots or getting 10 assists, that's what I have to do.&rdquo;
Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points, Tobias Harris added 21 and Embiid had six assists for the Sixers. Philadelphia lost in Atlanta 104-95 on Thursday night.
&ldquo;It was wide open,&rdquo; said Maxey, who had nine assists. &ldquo;We had to go right through them and that&rsquo;s what we did tonight.&rdquo;
Trae Young scored 27 points and Dejounte Murray added 21 for the Hawks, who had a 43-31 rebounding advantage &mdash; including a 12-2 advantage on the offensive glass &mdash; but struggled by shooting just 24 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
&ldquo;We never established defense,&rdquo; Hawks head coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;The first three quarters, they came out and put up 37 points, then 30 and 32. ... We did continue to fight, but we had 19 turnovers and when you give up 34 points, you are not going to win that game.&rdquo;
Embiid and the Sixers went right at Hawks center Clint Capela by posting him just outside the paint, allowing the option for a turnaround jumper or a skip pass to a wide-open Harris or Maxey when Atlanta came over in coverage.
Embiid scored Philadelphia first 10 points of the game and then became a distributor as the Sixers raced out to a big lead in the first half by shooting 58.1% from the floor.
&ldquo;There's so much attention (paid to him defensively) and I'm a willing passer," Embiid said. &ldquo;All credit to my teammates for making great cuts. Tonight, we played well together and we moved well without the ball. We shot the ball well. That's the way we should play every night.&rdquo;
Atlanta kept chipping away, cutting a 27-point deficit to six late in the fourth with Young and Murray driving into the lane and kicking out. A late five-point Philadelphia run in the last 2:30 of the game held off the Hawks' surge.
&ldquo;You are not going to get into a flow when you are turning the ball over and you aren't getting any stops,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;We have to get some stops so we can get out and get something easy going to the basket.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hawks: Forward Onyeka Okongwu missed Saturday night's game for what Atlanta described as personal reasons. ... Bogdan Bogdanovic worked out before the game as he continues his recovery from a right knee injury that has sidelined him the first 13 games of the season.
76ers: Sixers guard Furkan Korkmaz suffered a left knee injury in the second quarter and was declared out before halftime. ... Guard De'Anthony Melton, who started and played 29 minutes in Philadelphia's loss to Atlanta on Thursday night, missed Saturday's game with stiffness in the left side of his back.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Travel to Milwaukee for a Monday night game against the Bucks. It will be the third meeting between the teams in 16 days, with each side winning once so far.
76ers: Hosts Utah on Sunday night in the second game of a five-game homestand.

Joel Embiid had a season-high 42 points and 10 rebounds as the 76ers beat the Hawks 121-109 on Saturday night.

Embiid scores season-best 42 points, 76ers top Hawks 121-109

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Kristaps Porzingis had 30 points and nine rebounds, Bradley Beal added 29 points and the Washington Wizards took advantage of Joel Embiid's absence for a 121-111 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Kyle Kuzma also added 18 points for Washington, which didn't trail for the final three quarters of the game and was able to match up against Philadelphia's smaller guard-heavy lineup with a steady diet of interior offense.
&ldquo;They had to switch up the style, but they are also good playing this way and playing off a pick and roll,&rdquo; Porzingis said. &ldquo;They all can shoot and they are a good team even without him. We made the right adjustments from (Monday night's 117-96 Philadelphia win) and we came up with the right results.&rdquo;
Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points for the 76ers, while James Harden had 24 and Tobias Harris added 16.
&ldquo;We just didn't get timely stops,&rdquo; Maxey said. &ldquo;They got some easy looks. We got the game close in the fourth quarter, but that's the time when you have to buckle down and get stops and we didn't get those stops tonight."
Embiid missed his third game of the season, sitting out with an illness the team said was not related to COVID-19. Sixers coach Doc Rivers said Embiid has the flu and has not been around the team in recent days to avoid spreading it around the locker room. Embiid, who has averaged 27.2 points and 9.5 rebounds in six games, missed Monday night's game in Washington for the same reason.
Washington controlled the inside against Philadelphia's backups of P.J. Tucker and Paul Reed. The Wizards outscored the 76ers by a 69-38 margin in the paint and held a 50-40 edge on the boards. Most of that was because of a confusion against Porzingis, who was able to pop outside at times and then rolled with Beal's feeds.
&ldquo;We know how much of a difference maker Joel is, but we were able to take advantage of KP's length,' Beal said. &rdquo;You have to stand there and make a decision. He can stand over you and shoot over you. He can space the floor and then roll. It's great versatility and he's an underrated defender. He has a nice overall game, I'm glad he's putting it together and we're going to have to continue to feed him."
TIP-INS
Wizards: Washington played Delon Wright (right hamstring strain) for the fourth straight game. Wright has averaged 6.5 points in a reserve point guard role, shooting 41.7 percent from the floor.
76ers: G De'Anthony Melton missed the game with lower back soreness. ... The game time was bumped up to 6:05 p.m. to avoid conflict with Game 4 of the World Series, which was taking place across the street from Wells Fargo at Citizens Bank Park. The crowd was noticeably thinner than a normal Sixers game would draw.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Host Brooklyn on Friday.
76ers: Host New York on Friday.

Kristaps Porzingis had 30 points and 9 rebounds, and the Wizards got a 121-111 victory over the 76ers on Wednesday night.

Porzingis, Beal lead Wizards over Embiid-less 76ers, 121-111

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; James Harden scored 23 points and had 17 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers clawed back to .500 with a 118-111 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night despite missing Joel Embiid.
Tyrese Maxey added 28 points for Philadelphia. Georges Niang sank all four of his 3-pointers in the second half &mdash; including three in the fourth quarter &mdash; and finished with 12 points as the 76ers won their third straight to close a four-game road trip and move to 4-4.
&ldquo;We keep saying we&rsquo;re a work in progress," Harden said of his team, which reached the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re continuously trying to figure out great we can be. And I&rsquo;m glad we were going through a tough time. Everything isn&rsquo;t great (when) you&rsquo;re winning games. It just feels that way.&rdquo;
Embiid, the back-to-back NBA MVP finalist, missed out due to non-COVID-19 related illness.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 32 points and Bradley Beal added 19 for Washington, which lost its third in a row and second at home.
The Wizards closed to within five inside the final minute after going down as many as 18 early in the fourth quarter.
The 76ers took charge on a 27-6 run that spanned the late third and early fourth, during which the Wizards made just one field goal.
&ldquo;We obviously missed some shots, we didn't have great execution,&rdquo; said Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. &ldquo;Just the urgency to start the second half, I don't think was there.&rdquo;
Harden and Tobias Harris hit layups on back-to-back possessions to start it, the latter giving Philadelphia a 72-71 lead with 4:04 left in the third.
Niang's first 3 made it 82-73 with 1:01 left in the third, and by the time he sank his third it stretched the lead to 95-77 early in the fourth.
&ldquo;Third quarters are huge. &mdash; they always have been,&rdquo; said 76ers coach Doc Rivers. &ldquo;When you can come out and stretch a game in the third quarter, it changes the dynamic of the game. I would love us to be that type of team.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
76ers: Improve to 2-0 without Embiid, who also missed Philadelphia's 112-90 win at Toronto on Oct. 28. ... Harris and De'Anthony Meldon had 16 points each. ... Without Embiid, Philadelphia finished with zero second-chance points.
Wizards: G Monte Morris moved to 3001 career points &mdash; and eight on the night &mdash; when he hit a 3-pointer with 2:17 left in the first half. He finished with 19 ... F Anthony Gill made his fifth career start and first since May 6 of 2021.
NOT ONLY A SCORER
Known most in his career for his scoring ability, Harden moved up two spots to No. 27 on the NBA's all-time assists list with his performance, passing Stephon Marbury and Nate Archibald. At 6477 assists, he's 100 shy of the all-time top 25.
&ldquo;I just keep pushing, keep trying to make my teammates better, keep trying to make the play and good things happen,&rdquo; Harden said.
SCRATCH THAT, REVERSE IT
Kyle Kuzma looked set to give Washington a 66-65 lead with 6:20 left in the third when he took Morris' outlet pass on the break and honed in on an uncontested dunk. Kuzma attempted a reverse windmill finish that slammed off the back iron and fell for a 76ers rebound.
UP NEXT
The 76ers and Wizards meet again on Wednesday in Philadelphia.

James Harden scored 23 points and had 17 assists as the 76ers clawed back to .500 with a 118-111 victory over the Wizards.