At 38-19, the Philadelphia 76ers are currently the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed. They have the league’s fourth-best record overall and are one of the presumed top contenders for the NBA title.
That didn’t stop 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey from making a rather interesting criticism about his contending team recently.
On a Feb. 22, 2023, episode of The Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast, Morey was a guest and discussed the current state of the 76ers.
When the conversation shifted to the chemistry between superstar center Joel Embiid and superstar guard James Harden, Morey said he “underestimated” how quickly it would take the two to mesh together. He took it a step further.
In reference to how well Embiid and Harden work together — especially on the pick-and-roll — Morey seemed confused:
Daryl Morey also gets confused as to why the Sixers get away from Harden-Embiid PnR:
“And then there will be times you’re just like… why aren’t we doing the thing that’s working really well?”
(via @RTRSPodcast)#BrotherlyLove #Sixers 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/WseeuNI6tO
— RB (@RBPhillyTake) February 22, 2023
Whoa, wait. Let’s rewind that quote from Morey precisely:
“This is another place I’d like to see that consistency [play on the pick-and-roll], and when we have it humming, it’s really humming … And then there will be times like, wait, ‘why aren’t we doing the thing [pick-and-roll play] that’s working really well? What’s happening?'”
With two All-Star caliber players paired together, Morey might have a point, but it’s probably not so simple. With the help of my friend Bryan Kalbrosky, we took a closer look.
The James Harden-Joel Embiid PNR is one of the best plays in the sport right now.
— Justin Jett (@JustinJett_) February 11, 2023
When including passes, according to Synergy, Harden is only ninth in the NBA in possessions finished (19.1) as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll per game. He ranks sixth in points scored (21.0) on said possessions.
Embiid, meanwhile, leads the NBA with 9.1 points per game scored as the roll man in pick-and-roll sets.
Overall, per PBPStats, Harden has recorded an NBA-best 171 assists to Embiid. He has passed the ball to him 18.8 times per game, via NBA.com.
These are considerable steps up from 2021 when Harden passed the ball to Embiid just 8.6 times per game. And it’s still probably not enough.
That’s because, on a team level, according to the NBA’s official stats, Philadelphia is sixth-lowest in frequency (14.9 percent) finished through the pick-and-roll ball handler. It’s just a middling 16th in pick-and-roll efficiency.
The 76ers already lean on Harden and Embiid for special performances together every game. The pair have even stepped up how often they work in tandem since joining forces in 2022.
Yet, as laid out here, Philadelphia may not be using its two best players in the most optimal way.
Whether or not head coach Doc Rivers and his staff make the appropriate adjustment down the stretch as the 76ers barrel their way toward another hopeful title pursuit remains to be seen.