The Philadelphia 76ers are 16-7 and sit fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. The team's success is in large part due to the jump that Tyrese Maxey has taken this year in addition to the growth in Joel Embiid's game. There is no question the Sixers only go as far as these two players can take them, and at the moment the duo is arguably the best in the entire NBA!
Are Embiid and Maxey the best duo in the league?
The numbers say 'Yes'. The numbers I am speaking of are scoring of course. At the moment, Embiid and Maxey lead the league for scoring by teammates. That means they are topping duos like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown, and LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Maxey and Embiid are putting up a staggering 59.9 points per game on average. What is even crazier about that stat is that this number is not just topping the league this season, it is an All-time historic number.
A 29.95 split average between Embiid and Maxey would put them 5th on the All-time list of scoring duos if they can keep this pace up throughout the rest of the season. That is a big if, but for the moment neither of these guys looks to be slowing down with their scoring. The current record for season-long averages by teammates was 34.12 points by Elgin Baylor and Jerry West on the 1962 Los Angeles Lakers.
Can the Sixers continue to win this way?
Naturally, the scoring statistics are eye-opening, but it leads to that bigger question. We know Joel Embiid can win us games. We know Tyrese Maxey can win us games. However, even if they score 60 points a game, we can lose if the rest of the team is not playing up to par. Whether the Sixers need to adjust to get more players involved in the offense or if this is sustainable for long-term success is yet to be seen. For the time being, we need to recognize the history being made in front of our eyes every night and just enjoy it!