The Philadelphia 76ers have two elite offensive stars, Joel Embiid and James Harden. The two of them are so skilled they can score at will, and they can do it efficiently by getting into the paint and to the free-throw line.
When one combines Embiid’s ruthless scoring with Harden’s playmaking, they form an elite pick-and-roll duo. It’s so tough for teams to defend: They have to make a decision on either Embiid rolling to the basket or Harden getting to the basket or pulling up for a mid-range jumper.
Per PBP Stats, Harden and Embiid have an offensive rating of 122.86. However, per Basketball Index, one other offensive duo ranks ahead of them: Denver Nuggets stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Jokic and Murray have been the best offensive 1,2 punch in the league this season.
1st: Jokic/Murray
2nd: Harden/Embiid
3rd: AD/Lebron
4th: Tatum/Brown
5th: KD/KyrieCalculated by O-
LEBRON our overall offensive impact metric pic.twitter.com/uV8sDrlUUk— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) January 23, 2023
It will be interesting for Philadelphia as they actually host Jokic and the Nuggets on Saturday in a matinee. It will be the first matchup between Embiid and The Joker on the season.
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