With a 12-game sample size to look at, we can come to the conclusion that the Philadelphia 76ers are very much a work in progress.
We're seeing what LeBron James--and many others--warned viewers about before the season even started. With the Sixers being a new unit that is top-heavy, stacked with high-usage players, they were bound to go through growing pains.
But two surprising factors got the 76ers off to a hot start. One, their defense has been so much better than expected. With names like LeBron James and Jaylen Brown joining the combination of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, everybody thought that was a group that might score at will, but might be prone to giving the points back on the other end.
The other is the clutch gene. Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers have found themselves in deep holes throughout the first half, but found ways to climb out. Typically, when that's a frequent sight, it's temporary. You can't always win in comeback fashion, especially against good teams. The Cleveland Cavaliers showed the Sixers that last week. The Boston Celtics did the same on Tuesday night.
The sample size that's hard to see
Looking beyond Tuesday's blowout loss against the Celtics, the bigger picture isn't great for the 76ers' star-studded group right now. Their starting five hasn't played every game together, but they've turned in more minutes than we might've expected.
As mentioned by PHLY's Derek Bodner, the Sixers' starting group has logged 120 minutes together. They've posted a 104.1 offensive rating, ranking in the seventh percentile league-wide. The group has been outscored 278-285. Not a significant gap, but certainly one you wouldn't want to see when, on paper, you're supposed to have the best starting offense in the league.
Efficiency is clearly an issue for the Sixers. While Tyrese Maxey has been the team's hottest scorer through the first stretch of the year, the Sixers are watching guys like LeBron James and Joel Embiid turn in shockingly low shooting percentages.
James is making just 43% of his shots from the field and shooting an ugly 23.7% from three. Embiid isn't a high-volume three-point scorer, but he has lost his stretch-five badge so far (12% from deep). Typically making nearly 50% of his field goals, Embiid is just 37% from the field this year.
In the make-or-miss league, you have to imagine that these guys with many years of experience will be able to shoot their way out of this slump and start scoring at will, as they were expected to. But so far, under that impressive 9-3 record and the surprising defensive performance, the 76ers have not met expectations with their offense. That's disappointing.
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