Original title: The world's invincible Embiid meets the delegated Harden Are they contemporary OK combinations?
Written by Sohu Sports/Sheng Zhe
After a 147-116 win over the Detroit Pistons, the Philadelphia 76ers have won 12 of their last 15 games. Less noticed, they quietly rose to fourth place in the East, behind the Green Army, Nets and Bucks.
23 minutes 12-of-20 shooting, 11-of-11 free throws, 36 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks; 26 minutes on 6-of-7 shooting, 16 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists. This is the data handed over by Embiid and Harden, who returned from injury in yesterday's game.
Dendi blocked, Harden broke through the left wrist and flicked back to pass the emperor, who hit an easy jump shot from the free throw line; In the next round, it was concocted in the same way, or Dengdi blocked, Harden broke through the left side of the wrist and flicked back to pass the emperor, the latter made a free-throw line jumper feint point fly defender, one step into the box to complete the dunk; Immediately afterwards, the emperor continued to block, Harden broke through the wrist on the left side and flicked back to pass back to the emperor, who arced the top three-point big vacancy, soaring...
In this way, the two kept drawing scoops according to the gourd in the game, copying rounds, and tried again and again... Harden's 15 assists were given to Embiid, setting a new NBA record. Looking at the video, it was difficult to tell for a while whether this was the Emperor's scoring highlight or Denge's assist collection?
We need to face the question: Harden and Embiid, the combination known as the modern OK, the strongest duo in the league today?
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This season, Embiid delivered a historic offensive and defensive performance.
He averaged 33.6 points (second in the league), 9.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks while shooting 53.4 percent from the field. Mid-range, back-to-back, rollover jumper, three-pointer, breakaway, tack... If you watch Embiid's game, you will feel that this big man of two meters and three will be too much. He showed off his offensive skills like a striker and finished with delicate finishes like flowing water.
In addition, the emperor averaged 11.6 free throws per game this season, shooting 85.8%, which is amazingly lethal. He is the first center in history to average more than 10 free throws per game and shoot more than 85 percent from the field, and the only people who can come close to his free throw efficiency are Yao Ming and Moses Malone. In 2006-07, Dayao averaged 8.6 free throws per game and shot 85 percent from the field, while Malone averaged 11.4 free throws in 1984-85, shooting 81.5 percent. The two have a big gap with Embiid in terms of output and efficiency.
It seems unfair to Nikola Jokic that he has lost to Nikola Jokic in both regular season MVP and Team of the Year over the past two seasons. This season, he has a plus-minus of +7.3, a turnover percentage of 37.7%, and a game contribution of 21.1, all of which are second in the league. Such data and influence are like MVP level.
With such a top interior partner, Harden learned one thing at the age of 33: sacrifice.
In the past seven or eight years, Harden has been the top number two in this league, and there is no one. Rocket is invincible and invincible, but he has not been able to step over the mountain of warriors; The Nets are mature and comprehensive, and their efficiency is amazing, but their brilliance is fleeting like fireworks, and they can't even leave a frozen moment; After joining Philadelphia last season, perhaps unable to find a way to coexist with Embiid, Harden once again tasted and returned home in the playoffs.
You can't blame these losses simply on injury or luck. But the truth is that in a life-and-death battle on the verge of exit, Harden turned in 11 points, 9 assists and 4 turnovers on 4-of-9 shooting, and the once top scorer was instantly remarkable. After escaping Houston and Brooklyn one after another, his reputation also dropped to freezing point the moment he was out of the playoffs last year.
Perhaps it was this failed experience that deeply stung Harden's heart, who once thundered and did not give in, and began to transform last summer. He first took the initiative to cut his salary and helped the team sign veterans such as Tucker and House; This season was followed by a complete transition from a super scorer to a playmaker, in short, a decentralization.
In the past, Harden's cooperation with the interior line was Howard, who had a declining career, Capela and Claxton, who could only eat pie, all of whom had no autonomous offensive ability, waiting for Harden to taste the pie after the break. And now, next to him stands the top insider in this league, Embiid will do something, which is difficult for these people to learn in their lifetimes. So if Harden was still trying to adapt last season, this season, Harden is really in the right position: Who is the first choice on this team? How can he coexist with Embiid?
Harden averaged just 15.2 shots this season, the second-lowest since joining the Rockets in 2012-13 and 10 fewer than in his prime. In the game, his first choice is no longer output, but first find his teammates, find Embiid.
Because Harden and Embiid both have extremely excellent individual offensive ability and sense of space, the two are extremely threatening, and their ability to pull each other's defense to create space for each other after blocking is phenomenal. At the same time, they will attract a lot of defensive attention in the game, and at this time, the supporting actors around them have unlimited offensive space and opportunities. The butterfly effect caused by the Emperor Blockade explains that they are already the most lethal weapons in Philadelphia's tactical system.
Harden is a smart guy who finds it easier to block Embiid, and he's easier and more efficient in the game. This season, despite a lot of shots, Harden still averaged 21.8 points, 6.5 rebounds per game and a career-high 11 assists, and his assist rate was as high as 43.4%, the third in the league, and his game contribution value was the top in the league. Most of the time, Harden can easily paddle, pass and shoot, and recharge; And when the team needs him to attack, he can also switch to rocket boarding mode and blast a high score to lead the team out of trouble. We're used to Harden's big bags, but we don't know that this selfless style of play may be his favorite way to play.
In the first nine games of the season, the 76ers are 4-5; Since Harden's comeback on Dec. 6, Philadelphia is 13-4.
From all-time scorer to top playmaker, it's admirable that Dengo has completed a beautiful transformation at this stage of his career.
The data shows that Embiid and Harden have played 19 games at the same time this season, during which they are 12-7, and the plus-minus value is +7.3 when the two are on the floor at the same time. What concept? We compare the plus-minus values of several league-top duos when they are on the floor at the same time: Tatum/Brown (+2.9), Durant/Irving (+2.7), Curry/Thompson (+4.6), George/Leonard (+4), James/Thick Eyebrow (+1.8).
It is not difficult to see that the Dengdi combination is cliff-leading. All this is inseparable from Embiid's invincible state in the world, and it is also inseparable from Harden, who sacrificed to achieve the overall situation.
As for Philadelphia, which has the top duo in the league, it is really time to produce results. Embiid's peak and Harden's residual heat, if you can't catch it, it will be fleeting...