Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid control the dribble-handoff play, creating multiple scoring opportunities for the Sixers players.
As Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers learn to overwhelm defenses together, one of their go-to moves has been the dribble handoff.
With Embiid, Maxey’s increased role has provided him with opportunities to develop. The Sixers’ most recent victory over the Brooklyn Nets demonstrated their growth as a tandem. The Sixers, who rank close to the top of the NBA’s offensive rating leaderboard, have benefited greatly from being able to jump right into quick-hitting actions.
Embiid responded that he and trainer Drew Hanlen had been collaborating to implement the dribble handoff with Maxey. He claimed that Maxey’s speed and how difficult it is to protect him are the key factors.
“I just think he’s hard to guard. With his speed, he’s tough to guard,” Embiid said. “So, just looking at it and working together. He’s such a great shooter, so anytime he’s coming off of it and the big is back, that’s an easy shot. Then if the big steps up, he’s so quick to get by whoever is guarding him. Or if they just sag and they’re pushing inside the three-point line, now we got the pocket pass, which I’ve been missing a lot of ’em, but I’ll work on it and I’ll get better.”
Embiid had two assists for Maxey during his run to a season-high nine assists, 32 points, and 12 rebounds. The Sixers were able to overwhelm the Nets defense due to the big man’s playmaking. Embiid’s teammates are observing that he is more eager to facilitate the offense.
“Just from even the start of the season, I’ve seen a jump in his passing ability,” De’Anthony Melton said. “He’s passing, but now he’s passing even more on the money. Like, now he’s passing better for shooters and it’s showing.”
Embiid’s 6.2 assists per game easily surpass his career high. He commits about the same amount of turnovers per game (3.5) as he did in previous years. Embiid has reached a new level thanks to Philly’s increased emphasis on player and ball movement, which should help him perform better in the postseason.
Both Embiid and Nick Nurse expressed a desire for the Sixers’ offense to find the open man as frequently as feasible. Throughout his career, the big man has drawn numerous defenders, but these days, he is much more adept at locating teammates in the midst of aggressive defense.
“That’s kinda offense in this league: when they send two [defenders] to your primary scorer, you gotta get things figured out,” Nurse said. “And we’re making some progress there.”
The Sixers can use Embiid and Maxey in a variety of ways. In terms of their combined skill and effectiveness, they are already among the best basketball teams.