December 20, 2023
When asked about various statistical measures of his team in the early portion of the season, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said he does not put much stock in numbers until a team is 20-25 games in. With Nurse's team recently passing the quarter-century mark, now is as good of a time as ever to evaluate some statistical trends emerging surrounding the Sixers.
Joel Embiid shoots more free throws than anyone in the NBA outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo. So far this season, the reigning NBA MVP is knocking down 89.0 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe. Then there's Tyrese Maxey, who is shooting 89.3 percent on a career-high 5.4 attempts per game, and Tobias Harris, who is shooting 89.9 percent from the line on the highest volume of his Sixers tenure.
The Sixers having an excellent trio of free throw drawers and shooters in their starting lineup. Having no true weak links in the rotation in that department will be awfully helpful when games slow down in the playoffs, even if officials are more hesitant to blow their whistles.
How would Maxey handle full-time point guard duties on a team aiming to contend for a championship coming into this year?
To date, he has passed every test with flying colors. The most noteworthy example of this may be his ability to handle the ball securely. Maxey's turnover rate is not only the fourth-best in the NBA, but it is also the very best of any guards in the league. The only guard close to Maxey is Dallas' Kyrie Irving.
On December 8, Nurse was asked to explain Maxey's passion for taking care of the ball -- something the fourth-year guard talks about publicly much more than his scoring, shooting or passing. Nurse had a quick -- and accurate -- response.
"He's probably a coach's son."
When Covington made his return to Philadelphia, it was unclear how much he had left in the tank after a few recent injuries that have zapped his athleticism a bit. Covington is providing very little on offense, but his defense looks as good as it has been in a handful of years now. Whether he gets steals, blocks, deflections or all three, he has helped the Sixers turn around their defense and move in the right direction after a noteworthy slump.
Covington takes pride in his leadership role on the defensive end:
"That's my job," Covington said. "That's how I set the tone. I'm the guy that brings the energy, brings the effort. If I don't do it, who else will?
"That's what makes my presence felt on the floor. That's what my job is and that's what I do best."
Batum has been outstanding since his arrival in Philadelphia, clearly the most impactful of the four players the Sixers received from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for James Harden. His defense has been as versatile as it has been excellent, his lightning-quick three-point shooting trigger has been awfully impressive, and he is far and away the best post entry passer Embiid has played with in several years, if not ever.
If there is one reason to gripe regarding Batum's play, though, it is his three-point volume, which is far lower than it has been over the last few years of his career. In fairness, Batum is playing next to one of the highest-usage players in the sport in Embiid. But the Sixers' starting lineup that has bludgeoned most of its opposition could become even more difficult to match up with if Batum finds more opportunities to launch shots from beyond the arc.
According to both anecdotal recollection and lineup data from Cleaning The Glass, the Sixers have been considerably better when Embiid hits the bench or is unavailable than in past years. Perhaps the most important development of the season so far from a team perspective is the massive leap the team has made in surviving the infamous Embiid-off minutes.
| Year | Net Rating without Joel Embiid (per Cleaning The Glass) |
| 2020-21 | -0.3 |
| 2021-22 | -3.4 |
| 2022-23 | -2.1 |
| 2023-24 | + 5.5 |
Of course, once the playoffs start Embiid will play the vast majority of the minutes. But the Sixers know all too well that just a few minutes without Embiid can lead to a complete breakdown. That is why this is so significant.
