Led by star duo Joel Embiid and James Harden, the Philadelphia 76ers figure to be one of the top teams in the East in the 2022-23 season. The two are at the top of the league in terms of talent and the effect they can have on the game. Both are feared around the league.
The Sixers also made offseason moves to improve their supporting cast. They traded for De’Anthony Melton on draft night and signed PJ Tucker and Danuel House Jr. in free agency.
Therefore, Philadelphia figures to be in the conversation for a title in the 2023 postseason.
NBA.com put out its power rankings in the East, and the Sixers come in ranked third in the conference behind the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics:
Harden obviously wasn’t at his best (or most aggressive) in the playoffs. He probably isn’t ever again going to be the player that competed for Kia MVP trophies every season. But, because he’s not the Sixers’ best player nor the only guy who can do something off the dribble, he doesn’t have to be that guy in Philly.
He did make an impact upon joining the Sixers last season. After the All-Star break (when Harden started playing), Embiid took 57% of his shots in the paint. That was up from just 49% before the break and, in just 21 games together, Harden had more paint assists to Embiid (52) than any other teammate had all season. Tyrese Maxey also saw the 18th biggest jump in effective field goal percentage (from 52% to 62.1%) among 204 players with at least 200 field goal attempts before the break and at least 100 after the break.
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The Sixers will give anybody in the league a run for their money when one considers the talent they possess. Not just Embiid and Harden, but a rising star, Tyrese Maxey, and a do-it-all forward, Tobias Harris, who is capable of going off at any moment as well.
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