It turns out that while there are future risks associated with getting a 32-year-old star, it's a lot more cost-effective than someone who doesn't play and wastes Embiid's peak season.
The combination of Harden and Embiid is in the honeymoon period. In the first two games, Harden became the first player in the history of the 76ers to score more than 25 points and 15 assists in the first two games.
He really made up for the 76ers' lack of top outside ball carriers, allowing Maxi to go to a more suitable weak side attacker position, and his choice of blocking and dismantling is diverse, Harris, Niang can work with Harden to create more possibilities.
But the core is naturally Harden + Embiid, in fact, they are not a perfect combination innately. Embiid is a big, low-weight behemoth who is slow to go down and prefers to take out, and many times he will turn the ball out into one-on-one.
At the same time, he needs to eat a lot of ball possession, which is contrary to the way the outside ball holder core plays. Because their vacuum strength is very strong, cooperation is naturally possible, but a delicate balance needs to be found.
They seem to have found it. Embiid remains the absolute core, the one who shoots the most in the team. His evolved mid-range operating ability this season has not been given up because Harden is coming, and he has increased his cooperation with Harden to seek more opportunities for simple scoring.
Harden is also adapting to the way he works with Embiid, and in the first game against the Timberwolves, Harden has a combination to give an empty pickup, and Embiid can only get the ball and get up again because of his weight and speed.
In the game against the Knicks, the 76ers added a cover in the middle, and Harden also adjusted the height and speed of the throw, and finally completed the air connection easily. This is the run-in between the stars.
And Harden's own state is improving, his speed is getting faster, the breakthrough is more decisive, and the dribbling rhythm is smoother and faster when blocking and dismantling.
And the shooters around are not few, Niang, Green, Harris, even Maxi, a player with a low three-ratio, also has the ability to quickly attack and save.
But for Harden, the biggest reason that sets him apart from ordinary stars is still single-handed. Blocking is working with the whole team to help the team find more simple scoring opportunities, and single-handedness is the unique place for Harden.
Harden has played a total of 10 face-frame heads-ups in these two games, scoring a total of 20 points, which means that Harden can get 2 points per head-to-head, and the league's current top head-to-head efficiency is about 1.2, and the number of attempts per game is far less than Harden.
This sample is naturally very small, but Harden's aggressiveness and rate in heads-up seem to be slowly approaching his past self. The dry pull after continuous crotch, the change of direction dribbling and the killing of the inner line, are a bit of the shadow of the year.
And these two people put together, the free throw is too exaggerated. Harden handed over 19 free throws in both games, and Embiid handed over 27 free throws in a single game.
Embiid has averaged 11.3 free throws per game this season and currently hits the league with 432 free throws, with Harden fifth with 312 free throws.
Of course, there are only two games, and Harden's investment in the defensive end in the future is unlikely to be maintained forever, and his fight in these two games is really quite positive, and Harris has a role conflict, and he can't find north at all. The 76ers still have a lot to solve, but old Biden, is really scary.